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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (July 15) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 beaches.
Twenty beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 17 were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Casam Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Shek O Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach South Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Discovery Bay* Stanley Main Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach Trio Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Middle Bay Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Approach Beach Kiu Tsui Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Lido Beach
Butterfly Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Pui O Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Silverstrand Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Golden Beach
Kadoorie Beach
The beach with an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach. All gazetted beaches are equipped with shark nets.
A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. Latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the department's website on Beach Water Quality (www.beachwq.gov.hk or www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Casam Beach and Hoi Mei Wan Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Big Wave Bay Beach, Clear Water Bay First Beach, Lido Beach, Lower Cheung Sha Beach and Silverstrand Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
Under our present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades according to the level of E. coli in the water.
Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
Grade 4 is assigned to beaches whose last E. coli reading exceeded a threshold figure, irrespective of the geometric mean. Swimmers are advised to avoid these beaches until the water quality improves.
People are advised not to swim at the closed beaches.
The EPD spokesman warned that many beaches were likely to be more polluted than their grades suggested during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a storm or heavy rainfall.
Ends/Friday, July 15, 2011
Issued at HKT 15:03
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