Grading of beach water quality released
*************************************** The Environmental Protection Department today (September 16) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches open to the public, rating 18 as Good (Grade 1), 14 as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).
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) Pui O Beach (S)
Chung Hom Kok Beach (S) Repulse Bay Beach (S)
Clear Water Bay First Beach (S) South Bay Beach (S)
Deep Water Bay Beach (S) St. Stephen's Beach (S)
Discovery Bay* Stanley Main Beach (S)
Hap Mun Bay Beach (S) Tong Fuk Beach (S)
Hung Shing Yeh Beach (S) Trio Beach (S)
Kwun Yam Beach (S) Turtle Cove Beach (S)
Lo So Shing Beach (S) Upper Cheung Sha Beach (S)
Grade 2 beaches are:
Butterfly Beach (S) Kiu Tsui Beach (S)
Cafeteria New Beach (S) Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach (S) Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach (S)
Castle Peak Beach (S) Middle Bay Beach (S)
Clear Water Bay Second Beach (S) Shek O Beach (S)
Golden Beach (S) Silver Mine Bay Beach (S)
Kadoorie Beach (S) Silverstrand Beach (S)
Grade 3 beach is Big Wave Bay Beach (S).
Beach grades are published weekly before the weekend. The information may also be obtained from the department's website at www.epd.gov.hk or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Chung Hom Kok Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach has been upgraded from Grade 4 to Grade 2.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," a spokesman said.
Under our 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.
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 the closed beaches.
The 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.
*************************************** The Environmental Protection Department today (September 16) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches open to the public, rating 18 as Good (Grade 1), 14 as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).
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) Pui O Beach (S)
Chung Hom Kok Beach (S) Repulse Bay Beach (S)
Clear Water Bay First Beach (S) South Bay Beach (S)
Deep Water Bay Beach (S) St. Stephen's Beach (S)
Discovery Bay* Stanley Main Beach (S)
Hap Mun Bay Beach (S) Tong Fuk Beach (S)
Hung Shing Yeh Beach (S) Trio Beach (S)
Kwun Yam Beach (S) Turtle Cove Beach (S)
Lo So Shing Beach (S) Upper Cheung Sha Beach (S)
Grade 2 beaches are:
Butterfly Beach (S) Kiu Tsui Beach (S)
Cafeteria New Beach (S) Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach (S) Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach (S)
Castle Peak Beach (S) Middle Bay Beach (S)
Clear Water Bay Second Beach (S) Shek O Beach (S)
Golden Beach (S) Silver Mine Bay Beach (S)
Kadoorie Beach (S) Silverstrand Beach (S)
Grade 3 beach is Big Wave Bay Beach (S).
Beach grades are published weekly before the weekend. The information may also be obtained from the department's website at www.epd.gov.hk or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Chung Hom Kok Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach has been upgraded from Grade 4 to Grade 2.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," a spokesman said.
Under our 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.
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 the closed beaches.
The 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, September 16, 2005
Issued at HKT 14:00
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