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Grading of beach water quality released
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     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 22) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 beaches.

     Eighteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 17 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and two were rated as Poor (Grade 3).

Grade 1 beaches are:
 
Chung Hom Kok Beach                 Lo So Shing Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach         Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach        Pui O Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach                Repulse Bay Beach  
Discovery Bay*                      South Bay Beach  
Hap Mun Bay Beach                   Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach                Trio Beach  
Kadoorie Beach                      Turtle Cove Beach  
Kwun Yam Beach                      Upper Cheung Sha Beach

Grade 2 beaches are:
 
Butterfly Beach                     Lido Beach  
Cafeteria New Beach                 Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach                 Middle Bay Beach  
Casam Beach                         Shek O Beach  
Castle Peak Beach                   Silver Mine Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach          Silverstrand Beach  
Golden Beach                        St. Stephen's Beach  
Hoi Mei Wan Beach                   Stanley Main Beach  
Kiu Tsui Beach
  
Grade 3 beaches are:
 
Approach Beach                      Big Wave Bay 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 websites 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, Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach and St. Stephen's Beach have 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, June 22, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:01

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