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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (August 15) released the latest grading of water quality of 39 beaches.
Twenty-five beaches were rated as good (grade 1) and 14 were rated as fair (grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Casam Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Middle Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Shek O Beach
Discovery Bay* Silverstrand Beach
Golden Beach South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach Stanley Main Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lido Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lo So Shing Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Clear Water Bay First Beach
Approach Beach Clear Water Bay Second Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Kadoorie Beach
Butterfly Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Pui O Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Castle Peak 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, Casam Beach, Discovery Bay, Golden Beach, Hoi Mei Wan Beach and Lido Beach have been upgraded from grade 2 to grade 1. Castle Peak Beach has been upgraded from grade 3 to grade 2. Clear Water Bay Second Beach has 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 the 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, August 15, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:00
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