Grading of beach water quality released
*************************************** The Environmental Protection Department today (October 14) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches open to the public, rating 20 as Good (Grade 1) and 13 as Fair (Grade 2).
The beach with an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach. All gazetted beaches are equipped with shark nets.
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Pui O Beach
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 Stanley Main Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Trio Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Middle Bay Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Discovery Bay*
Butterfly Beach Golden Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Silverstrand Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach
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, Middle Bay Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 and Clear Water Bay First Beach has been changed from Grade 1 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 (October 14) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches open to the public, rating 20 as Good (Grade 1) and 13 as Fair (Grade 2).
The beach with an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach. All gazetted beaches are equipped with shark nets.
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Pui O Beach
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 Stanley Main Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Trio Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Middle Bay Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Discovery Bay*
Butterfly Beach Golden Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Silverstrand Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach
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, Middle Bay Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 and Clear Water Bay First Beach has been changed from Grade 1 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, October 14, 2005
Issued at HKT 14:00
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