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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 3) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 beaches.
Nineteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 20 as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Middle Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Shek O Beach
* Discovery Bay South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach St Stephen's Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Stanley Main Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Golden Beach
Approach Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Kadoorie Beach
Butterfly Beach Lido Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Pui O Beach
Casam Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silverstrand Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Ting Kau Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Trio 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. The 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 and www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Middle Bay Beach, Stanley Main Beach and Turtle Cove Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Approach Beach and Silver Mine Bay Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," the 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.
Ends/Friday, June 3, 2016
Issued at HKT 15:02
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