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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (October 25) released the latest grading of water quality for 38 beaches.
Twenty-nine beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), eight were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and one was rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Kwun Yam Beach
Butterfly Beach Lo So Shing Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Middle Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Silverstrand Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach South Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Discovery Bay* Stanley Main Beach
Golden Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Trio Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Kadoorie Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Approach Beach Lido Beach
Casam Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Castle Peak Beach Pui O Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Grade 3 beach is:
Anglers' 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, Butterfly Beach, Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach, Golden Beach, Lower Cheung Sha Beach and Silverstrand Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to 1. Anglers' Beach has been changed from Grade 2 to 3.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," 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, October 25, 2013
Issued at HKT 15:00
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