Traditional Chinese Simplified Chinese Email this article news.gov.hk
Grading of beach water quality released
***************************************

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 29) released the latest grading of water quality of 37 beaches.

     Twenty beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), sixteen were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and one was rated as Poor (Grade 3).

Grade 1 beaches are:
 
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach     Lo So Shing Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach            Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach    Middle Bay 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              St. Stephen's Beach  
Hung Shing Yeh Beach           Tong Fuk Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach                 Turtle Cove Beach  
Kwun Yam Beach                 Upper Cheung Sha Beach

Grade 2 beaches are:

Big Wave Bay Beach             Kadoorie Beach
Butterfly Beach                Lido Beach  
Cafeteria New Beach            Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach  
Cafeteria Old Beach            Shek O Beach  
Casam Beach                    Silver Mine Bay Beach
Castle Peak Beach              Silverstrand Beach  
Golden Beach                   Stanley Main Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach              Trio Beach  

Grade 3 beach is:
 
Approach 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 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, Kiu Tsui Beach, Middle Bay Beach and St. Stephen's Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to 1. Big Wave Bay Beach has been upgraded from 3 to 2. Kadoorie Beach and Trio Beach have 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 29, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:02

NNNN

Print this page