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Grading of beach water quality released
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     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 30) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 beaches.

     Nineteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 19 as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:

Casam Beach                                Lo So Shing Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach     Repulse Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach                  South Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach         St Stephen's Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach     Stanley Main Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach                      Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach                 Trio Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach                              Turtle Cove Beach 
Kwun Yam Beach                          Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lido Beach

Grade 2 beaches are:

Anglers' Beach                             Kadoorie Beach
Approach Beach                           Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach                    Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach                            Middle Bay Beach
Cafeteria New Beach                   Pui O Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach                     Shek O Beach
Castle Peak Beach                       Silver Mine Bay Beach
* Discovery Bay                           Silverstrand Beach
Golden Beach                               Ting Kau Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach

Grade 3 beach is:

Deep Water 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. 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, Casam Beach, Chung Hom Kok Beach, Kwun Yam Beach, Lido Beach and Stanley Main Beach have 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," 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, September 30, 2016
Issued at HKT 15:00
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