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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (July 24) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 beaches.
Seventeen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 17 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and five were rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
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
Lo So Shing Beach Trio Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Deep Water Bay Beach
Butterfly Beach Golden Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Kwun Yam Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Pui O Beach
Casam Beach Shek O Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Stanley Main Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach
Grade 3 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Lido Beach
Approach Beach Ting Kau Beach
Hoi Mei Wan 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, Anglers' Beach and Lido Beach have been changed from Grade 2 to Grade 3. Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach and Kwun Yam Beach have been upgraded to Grade 2, and Hoi Mei Wan Beach and Ting Kau Beach to Grade 3, since their last grading (Grade 4) this Tuesday (July 21).
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
"For Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach, Kwun Yam Beach, Hoi Mei Wan Beach and Ting Kau Beach, we observed temporary deterioration of water quality, which was largely due to heavy rain. The latest samples taken show that the water quality of the beaches has improved. We will continue to monitor these beaches regularly."
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 24, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:00
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