Grading of beach water quality released
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     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 29) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 beaches.

     Sixteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 19 were rated as Fair (Grade 2), three were rated as Poor (Grade 3) and one was rated as Very Poor (Grade 4).

Grade 1 beaches are:
 
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach   Lo So Shing Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach          Silverstrand Beach      
Clear Water Bay First Beach  South Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach         Stanley Main Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach            Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach         Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach               Upper Cheung Sha Beach

Grade 2 beaches are:

Big Wave Bay Beach          Lido Beach
Butterfly Beach             Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria New Beach         Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach         Middle Bay Beach
Casam Beach                 Pui O Beach
Castle Peak Beach           Repulse Bay Beach    
Discovery Bay*              Shek O Beach
Golden Beach                Silver Mine Bay Beach
Kadoorie Beach              Turtle Cove Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach

Grade 3 beaches are:

Anglers' Beach              Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Approach Beach

Grade 4 beach is:

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, Big Wave Bay Beach, Cafeteria New Beach, Cafeteria Old Beach, Discovery Bay, Golden Beach, Kiu Tsui Beach and Turtle Cove Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2; Anglers' Beach and Hoi Mei Wan Beach from Grade 2 to Grade 3; and Ting Kau Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 4.

     "The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.

     "The very poor water quality of Ting Kau Beach may be due to the recent heavy rainfall and we have been conducting pollution investigation at the beach."

     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, May 29, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:16

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