Grading of beach water quality released
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Thirty-five beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and three as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
| Anglers' Beach | Lido Beach |
| Approach Beach | Lo So Shing Beach |
| Big Wave Bay Beach | Lower Cheung Sha Beach |
| Cafeteria New Beach | Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach |
| Cafeteria Old Beach | Middle Bay Beach |
| Casam Beach | Pui O Beach |
| Castle Peak Beach | Repulse Bay Beach |
| Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach | Shek O Beach |
| Chung Hom Kok Beach | Silverstrand Beach |
| Clear Water Bay First Beach | South Bay Beach |
| Clear Water Bay Second Beach | St Stephen's Beach |
| Deep Water Bay Beach | Stanley Main Beach |
| Discovery Bay | Ting Kau Beach |
| Hap Mun Bay Beach | Tong Fuk Beach |
| Hung Shing Yeh Beach | Trio Beach |
| Kadoorie Beach | Turtle Cove Beach |
| Kiu Tsui Beach | Upper Cheung Sha Beach |
| Kwun Yam Beach |
Grade 2 beaches are:
| Butterfly Beach | Hoi Mei Wan Beach |
| Golden Beach |
Compared with the grading released last week, Approach Beach, Cafeteria New Beach, Cafeteria Old Beach and Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1.
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.
The EPD spokesman advised the public to check the latest update from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department before swimming in Stanley Main Beach and Turtle Cove Beach (Southern District), Cafeteria New Beach and Golden Beach (Tuen Mun District) and Clear Water Bay First Beach (Sai Kung District), which may be affected by suspected red tides found recently, as well as Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach (Tsuen Wan District) which may be affected by a suspected oil spill.
The EPD spokesman also 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.
A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. 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.
Ends/Friday, April 21, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:48
Issued at HKT 16:48
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