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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 22) released the latest grading of water quality of 39 beaches.
Fifteen beaches were rated as Good (grade 1), 20 as Fair (grade 2) and four as Poor (grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Pui O Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach St Stephen's Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Middle Bay Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Kadoorie Beach
Butterfly Beach Kiu Tsui Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lido Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Casam Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silverstrand Beach
* Discovery Bay Stanley Main Beach
Golden Beach Trio Beach
Grade 3 beaches are:
Approach Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Castle Peak 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. 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 or www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Clear Water Bay Second Beach and Stanley Main Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2; Approach Beach and Ting Kau Beach from Grade 2 to Grade 3. Since its last grading (Grade 4) earlier this week, Silver Mine Bay Beach has been upgraded to Grade 3.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," the EPD spokesman said.
"For Silver Mine Bay Beach, we observed that temporary deterioration of water quality was largely due to heavy rain. The latest samples taken show that the water quality of the beach has improved."
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 a report entitled "Beach Water Quality in Hong Kong 2015". The report summarises the water quality of gazetted beaches in 2015 and is accessible online at www.beachwq.gov.hk and www.epd.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, April 22, 2016
Issued at HKT 15:04
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