***************************************
The Environmental Protection Department today (October 8) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches open to the public, rating 25 as Good (Grade 1) and eight as Fair (Grade 2).
The beach with an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach. (S) indicates a beach that is equipped with a shark net.
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach (S) Chung Hom Kok Beach (S)
Kwun Yam Beach (S) Deep Water Bay Beach (S)
Hung Shing Yeh Beach (S) Hairpin Beach (S)
Lo So Shing Beach (S) Middle Bay Beach (S)
Lower Cheung Sha Beach Repulse Bay Beach (S)
Pui O Beach (S) Shek O Beach (S)
Silver Mine Bay Beach (S) South Bay Beach (S)
Tong Fuk Beach (S) St. Stephen's Beach (S)
Upper Cheung Sha Beach (S) Stanley Main Beach (S)
Clear Water Bay First Beach (S) Turtle Cove Beach (S)
Clear Water Bay Second Beach (S) Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach (S)
Hap Mun Bay Beach (S) Discovery Bay*
Trio Beach(S)
Grade 2 beaches are:
Butterfly Beach (S) Big Wave Bay Beach (S)
Cafeteria New Beach (S) Kiu Tsui Beach (S)
Cafeteria Old Beach Silverstrand Beach (S)
Golden Beach (S) Kadoorie Beach (S)
Compared with the grading released last week, Hairpin Beach, Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach and Discovery Bay have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beach," a spokesman said.
Beach grades are published weekly before the weekend. The information may also be obtained from the department's homepage at http://www.epd.gov.hk or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Under the 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 E. coli 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.
Seven gazetted beaches - Anglers' Beach, Approach Beach, Ting Kau Beach, Casam Beach, Gemini Beaches, Hoi Mei Wan Beach and Lido Beach - are closed to swimmers year round because of poor water quality.
People are advised not to swim at these closed beaches.
The spokesman cautioned 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, October 8, 2004
NNNN
