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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 24) released the latest grading of water quality of 39 beaches.
Thirty-two beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and seven were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Kwun Yam Beach
Butterfly Beach Lido Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lo So Shing Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Casam Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Middle Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Pui O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
* Discovery Bay Silverstrand Beach
Golden Beach South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach St Stephen's Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Trio Beach
Kadoorie Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Shek O Beach
Approach Beach Stanley Main Beach
Castle Peak Beach Ting Kau Beach
Clear Water Bay First 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 websites on Beach Water Quality (www.beachwq.gov.hk or www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Cafeteria Old Beach and Hoi Mei Wan Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Castle Peak Beach and Stanley Main Beach have 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.
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.
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.
Meanwhile, the department has published the report "Beach Water Quality in Hong Kong 2014". The report summarises the water quality of gazetted beaches in 2014 and is accessible online at www.beachwq.gov.hk and www.epd.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, April 24, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:00
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