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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (August 22) released the latest grading of water quality of 39 beaches.
Twenty-one beaches were rated as good (grade 1), 17 were rated as fair (grade 2) and one was rated as poor (grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Shek O Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Silverstrand Beach
Discovery Bay* South Bay Beach
Golden Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Stanley Main Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Clear Water Bay Second Beach
Approach Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Kadoorie Beach
Butterfly Beach Lido Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Middle Bay Beach
Casam Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Castle Peak Beach Ting Kau Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach
Grade 3 beach is:
Pui O 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, Hoi Mei Wan Beach, Lido Beach and Middle Bay Beach have been changed from grade 1 to grade 2. Pui O Beach has been upgraded to grade 3 since its last grading (grade 4) this Wednesday (August 20).
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
"For Pui O Beach, we observed temporary deterioration of water quality which was largely due to heavy rain. The latest samples obtained show that the beach water quality has returned to normal. We will continue to monitor this beach regularly."
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 22, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:00
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