***************************************
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 2) released the latest grading of water quality of 39 beaches.
Thirty-one beaches were rated as good (grade 1) and eight were rated as fair (grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Lido Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lo So Shing Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Casam Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Castle Peak Beach Middle Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Pui O Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silverstrand Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach South Bay Beach
* Discovery Bay St Stephen's Beach
Golden Beach Stanley Main Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Trio Beach
Kadoorie Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Kwun Yam Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Approach Beach Shek O Beach
Butterfly Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First 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, Silverstrand Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1.
"The change is generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beach," an EPD spokesman said.
Noting that a suspected red tide has recently affected Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District, the EPD spokesman advised the public to check the latest update from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department before swimming.
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.
Meanwhile, the department has published the report "Beach Water Quality in Hong Kong 2014". The report summarises the water quality of gazetted beaches in 2014 and is accessible online at www.beachwq.gov.hk and www.epd.gov.hk.
Ends/Thursday, April 2, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:10
NNNN
