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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 19) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 beaches.
Seventeen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 18 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and two were rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Lo So Shing Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach South Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Stanley Main Beach
Discovery Bay* Tong Fuk Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Kwun Yam Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Cafeteria New Beach Lido Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Casam Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Castle Peak Beach Middle Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Pui O Beach
Golden Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Kadoorie Beach Silverstrand Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Trio Beach
Grade 3 beaches are:
Approach Beach Butterfly 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, Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach, Lower Cheung Sha Beach, Middle Bay Beach and Trio Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to 2. Approach Beach and Butterfly Beach have been changed from Grade 2 to 3. Kiu Tsui Beach has been upgraded to Grade 2 since its last grading (Grade 4) this Wednesday (September 18).
"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/Thursday, September 19, 2013
Issued at HKT 16:53
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