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The Environmental Protection Department today (June 26) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches.
12 beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 20 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and one rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach South Bay Beach
Kwun Yam Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Stanley Main Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Pui O Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Shek O Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Golden Beach
Butterfly Beach Hap Mun Bay Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Hung Shing Yeh Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Kadoorie Beach
Castle Peak Beach Kiu Tsui Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Middle Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Silverstrand Beach
Discovery Bay* Trio Beach
Grade 3 beach is:
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
The beach with an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach. All gazetted beaches are equipped with shark nets.
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 website (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) on Beach Water Quality or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Shek O Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to 1. Deep Water Bay Beach, Hung Shing Yeh Beach, Repulse Bay Beach, Silver Mine Bay Beach and Trio Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to 2 and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach has been changed from Grade 2 to 3.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beach," an EPD 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, June 26, 2009
Issued at HKT 14:46
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