Grading of beach water quality released
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Twenty-nine beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 10 as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cafeteria New Beach Lo So Shing Beach
Casam Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Pui O Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Shek O Beach
* Discovery Bay South Bay Beach
Golden Beach St Stephen's Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach Stanley Main Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kadoorie Beach Trio Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lido Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Castle Peak Beach
Approach Beach Deep Water Bay Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Middle Bay Beach
Butterfly Beach Silverstrand Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Ting Kau 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, Discovery Bay, Golden Beach, Kadoorie Beach, Lo So Shing Beach, Lower Cheung Sha Beach and Silver Mine Bay Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1.
"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/Saturday, October 22, 2016
Issued at HKT 11:00
Issued at HKT 11:00
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