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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (July 29) released the latest grading of water quality of 37 beaches.
Nineteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 18 were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Shek O Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Discovery Bay* St. Stephen's Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Stanley Main Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Trio Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Middle Bay Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Approach Beach Golden Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Kiu Tsui Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Lido Beach
Casam Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Castle Peak Beach Pui O Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silverstrand 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, Discovery Bay and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to 1 and Silver Mine Bay Beach has been upgraded from Grade 3 to 2. Clear Water Bay First Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to 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 29, 2011
Issued at HKT 15:06
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