Grading of beach water quality released
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     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 11) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 beaches.

     Twenty beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 17 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and two were rated as Poor (Grade 3).

Grade 1 beaches are:
 
Chung Hom Kok Beach          Pui O Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach  Repulse Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach         Silverstrand Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach            South Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach         St Stephen's Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach               Stanley Main Beach
Kwun Yam Beach               Tong Fuk Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach       Trio Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach        Turtle Cove Beach
Middle Bay Beach             Upper Cheung Sha Beach

Grade 2 beaches are:
 
Anglers' Beach               Golden Beach
Approach Beach               Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach           Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria New Beach          Lido Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach          Lo So Shing Beach
Casam Beach                  Shek O Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach   Silver Mine Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Ting Kau Beach
*Discovery Bay

Grade 3 beaches are:

Butterfly Beach              Castle Peak 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, Deep Water Bay Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Big Wave Bay Beach, Discovery Bay, Shek O Beach and Silver Mine Bay 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.

      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, September 11, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:01

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