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Grading of beach water quality released
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     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 20) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 beaches.

     Fourteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 21 as Fair (Grade 2) and four as Poor (Grade 3).

Grade 1 beaches are:

Chung Hom Kok Beach          Repulse Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach         Shek O Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach            South Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach         St Stephen's Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach               Tong Fuk Beach
Lo So Shing Beach            Trio Beach
Middle Bay Beach             Upper Cheung Sha Beach

Grade 2 beaches are:
 
Anglers' Beach               Golden Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach           Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach              Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria New Beach          Kwun Yam Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach          Lido Beach
Casam Beach                  Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Castle Peak Beach            Pui O Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach   Silverstrand Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach  Stanley Main Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Turtle Cove Beach
* Discovery Bay

Grade 3 beaches are:

Approach Beach               Silver Mine Bay Beach
Lower Cheung Sha 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 and www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.

     Compared with the grading released last week, Shek O Beach and Trio Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Butterfly Beach and Castle Peak Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Silver Mine Bay Beach has been changed from Grade 2 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.

     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.

Ends/Friday, May 20, 2016
Issued at HKT 15:01

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