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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (July 11) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 beaches.
Twelve beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 23 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and four were rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Discovery Bay* South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Stanley Main Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Middle Bay Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Kadoorie Beach
Butterfly Beach Kwun Yam Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lido Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Casam Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Pui O Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Silverstrand Beach
Golden Beach Trio Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach
Grade 3 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Castle Peak Beach
Approach Beach Ting Kau 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, Casam Beach, Clear Water Bay Second Beach and Hoi Mei Wan Beach have been upgraded from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Deep Water Bay Beach, Hung Shing Yeh Beach, Kwun Yam Beach and Trio Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2.
"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, July 11, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:00
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