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Grading of beach water quality released
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     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (August 25) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 gazetted beaches and one non-gazetted beach (Discovery Bay) that are open for swimming.
 
     Twenty-two beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 15 as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:
 
Cafeteria New Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Middle Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Golden Beach Shek O Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach St Stephen's Beach
Kadoorie Beach Stanley Main Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Trio Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
 
Grade 2 beaches are:
 
Anglers' Beach Clear Water Bay First Beach
Approach Beach Deep Water Bay Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Discovery Bay
Butterfly Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Lido Beach
Casam Beach Pui O Beach
Castle Peak Beach Ting Kau Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach  
 
Grade 3 beach is:
 
Silverstrand Beach  
 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Cafeteria New Beach, Clear Water Bay Second Beach, Golden Beach, Kadoorie Beach, Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach, Middle Bay Beach and Turtle Cove Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Big Wave Bay Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2. 
 
     "Since Tropical Cyclone Hato brought heavy rain and adverse weather to Hong Kong on August 23, the beaches were likely to be more polluted than their grades suggested. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a tropical cyclone, a storm or heavy rainfall," 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.
 
     Due to urgent clearance work after Tropical Cyclone Hato and maintenance of shark prevention nets, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department has earlier announced the temporary closure of several beaches until further notice. Red flags have been hoisted at these beaches. Beach-goers are advised to check the latest situation and not to swim at these beaches.
 
     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.
 
Ends/Friday, August 25, 2017
Issued at HKT 17:53
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