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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 17) released the latest grading of water quality of 33 beaches.
Twenty-one beaches were rated as good (grade 1), 11 were rated as fair (grade 2) and one was rated as poor (grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Silverstrand Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach South Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach St Stephen's Beach
Discovery Bay* Stanley Main Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Pui O Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Butterfly Beach Kiu Tsui Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Castle Peak Beach Middle Bay Beach
Golden Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Kadoorie Beach
Grade 3 beach is:
Big Wave Bay 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, Pui O Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Ma Wan Tung Wan 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," an EPD spokesman said.
Noting that red tides had recently affected Clear Water Bay First and Second Beaches, the spokesman reminded the public to check the latest update from Leisure and Cultural Services Department before swimming.
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.
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. Nevertheless, the department has been closely monitoring the water quality of these beaches, and their recent monitoring data are published on the department's website.
People are advised not to swim at the closed beaches.
The EPD 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 17, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:03
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