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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 9) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 beaches.
Thirty-two beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and five were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Lo So Shing Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Middle Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Pui O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Shek O Beach
Discovery Bay* Silver Mine Bay Beach
Golden Beach Silverstrand Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Stanley Main Beach
Kadoorie Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lido Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Approach Beach Casam Beach
Butterfly Beach Castle Peak Beach
Cafeteria Old 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. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the department's website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Hoi Mei Wan Beach, Kadoorie Beach and Pui O Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to 1.
"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, September 9, 2011
Issued at HKT 15:03
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