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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (July 17) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 beaches.
Nineteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 19 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and one was rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Middle Bay Beach
* Discovery Bay Repulse Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Silverstrand Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach South Bay Beach
Kadoorie Beach St Stephen's Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Trio Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Golden Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach Lido Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Pui O Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Shek O Beach
Casam Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Castle Peak Beach Stanley Main Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Ting Kau Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach
Grade 3 beach is:
Approach 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, Kadoorie Beach, Lower Cheung Sha Beach and Repulse Bay Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Anglers' Beach and Ting Kau Beach have been upgraded from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Big Wave Bay Beach and Turtle Cove Beach have 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.
Noting that a recent oil spill had affected Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach in Islands District, the EPD spokesman advised the public to check the latest update from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department before swimming.
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 17, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:01
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