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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (August 10) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 beaches.
Eighteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 18 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and one was rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Shek O Beach
Discovery Bay* South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Trio Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Approach Beach Golden Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach Hung Shing Yeh Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Lido Beach
Casam Beach Middle Bay Beach
Castle Peak Beach Pui O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Stanley Main Beach
Grade 3 beach is:
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. 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 Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to 1. Middle Bay Beach and Hung Shing Yeh Beach have changed from Grade 1 to 2.
Silverstrand Beach has been upgraded to Grade 3 since its last grading (Grade 4) this Tuesday (August 7).
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
"For Silverstrand Beach, we observed temporary deterioration of water quality largely due to heavy rain. The latest samples taken show that the water quality of the beach has improved."
Noting that recent oil spills had affected Lo So Shing Beach and Silver Mine Bay Beach in Islands District, the EPD spokesman advised the public to check the latest updates from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department before swimming.
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, August 10, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:01
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