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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (July 18) released the latest grading of water quality at 39 beaches.
Fifteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 18 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and six were rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach South Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach St Stephen's Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Stanley Main Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Trio Beach
Middle Bay Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Repulse Bay Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Shek O Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach Hung Shing Yeh Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Kwun Yam Beach
Casam Beach Lido Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Pui O Beach
Discovery Bay* Silver Mine Bay Beach
Golden Beach Silverstrand Beach
Grade 3 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Castle Peak Beach
Approach Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria Old 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. 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, Shek O Beach, Trio Beach and Turtle Cove Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Discovery Bay has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2. Cafeteria Old Beach and Kadoorie 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.
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 18, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:01
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