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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 2) released the latest grading of water quality of 39 beaches.
Thirteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 21 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and 5 were rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Chung Hom Kok Beach Middle Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach South Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Approach Beach Kiu Tsui Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Butterfly Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Pui O Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Castle Peak Beach Shek O Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Stanley Main Beach
Discovery Bay* Ting Kau Beach
Golden Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Kadoorie Beach
Grade 3 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Lido Beach
Casam Beach Silverstrand 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. 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, Chung Hom Kok Beach and Trio Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Pui O Beach has been upgraded from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Cafeteria Old Beach, Lower Cheung Sha Beach and Upper Cheung Sha Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2. Anglers' Beach, Casam Beach, Hoi Mei Wan Beach and Lido Beach have been changed from Grade 2 to Grade 3.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
Noting that a suspected red tide has recently affected Silverstrand Beach in Sai Kung District and Pui O Beach in Islands District, an EPD spokesman advised the public to check the latest update from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department before swimming.
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, May 2, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:01
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