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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 12) released the latest grading of water quality for 36 beaches.
Nineteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 16 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and one was rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silverstrand Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Discovery Bay* St. Stephen's Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Trio Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Approach Beach Kadoorie Beach
Butterfly Beach Kwun Yam Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Lido Beach
Casam Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Castle Peak Beach Middle Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Pui O Beach
Golden Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach Stanley Main Beach
Grade 3 beach is:
Cafeteria New 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 and www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Butterfly Beach, Castle Peak Beach, Golden Beach, Kadoorie Beach, Pui O Beach and Silver Mine Bay Beach have changed from Grade 1 to 2. Cafeteria New Beach has been changed from Grade 2 to Grade 3.
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach and Kwun Yam Beach have been upgraded to Grade 2 since their last grading (Grade 4) this Wednesday (April 10).
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
"For Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach and Kwun Yam Beach, we observed the temporary deterioration of water quality was largely due to heavy rain. The latest samples taken show that the water quality of the beaches has returned to normal."
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.
Meanwhile, the department has published a report entitled "Beach Water Quality in Hong Kong 2012". The report summarises the water quality of gazetted beaches in 2012 and is accessible at a dedicated website at www.beachwq.gov.hk and the EPD's website at www.epd.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, April 12, 2013
Issued at HKT 15:01
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