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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (August 23)released the latest grading of water quality of 37 beaches.
Fifteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 21 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and one was rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok 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
Kwun Yam Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lo So Shing Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Approach Beach Kadoorie Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Lido Beach
Butterfly Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Middle Bay Beach
Casam Beach Pui O Beach
Castle Peak Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silverstrand Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Stanley Main Beach
Golden Beach
Grade 3 beach is:
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. 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, Kiu Tsui Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Lower Cheung Sha Beach, Silver Mine Bay Beach, Deep Water Bay Beach and Middle Bay Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to 2. Casam Beach and Lido Beach have been upgraded to Grade 2 and Hoi Mei Wan Beach has been upgraded to Grade 3 since their last grading (Grade 4) this Thursday (August 22).
"The changes for Kiu Tsui Beach, Lower Cheung Sha Beach, Silver Mine Bay Beach, Deep Water Bay Beach and Middle Beach are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
"For Casam Beach, Hoi Mei Wan Beach and Lido Beach, we observed temporary deterioration of water quality during the week, but the latest samples obtained show that the beach water quality has resumed normal. We will continue to monitor these beaches regularly," 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, August 23, 2013
Issued at HKT 16:31
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