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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (August 2) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 beaches.
Sixteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 21 were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Middle Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Discovery Bay* Shek O Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Trio Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Approach Beach Kadoorie Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Kiu Tsui Beach
Butterfly Beach Lido Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Pui O Beach
Casam Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silverstrand Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Stanley Main Beach
Golden Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Hoi Mei Wan 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, Chung Hom Kok Beach, Deep Water Bay Beach and Kwun Yam Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Hoi Mei Wan Beach has been upgraded from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Kiu Tsui Beach has been upgraded to Grade 2 since its last grading (Grade 4) this Wednesday (July 31).
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
"For Kiu Tsui Beach, we observed temporary deterioration of water quality, which was largely due to heavy rain earlier this week. The latest sample obtained shows that the beach water quality has returned to normal. We will continue to monitor this beach regularly."
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 2, 2013
Issued at HKT 15:02
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