The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) releases the 2017 Beach Water Quality Report today (March 29). The report indicates that all of the 41 gazetted beaches in Hong Kong complied with the bacteriological Water Quality Objective (WQO) for bathing waters in that year, with 23 of them ranked as "good" and the remaining 18 ranked as "fair" in water quality.

     An EPD spokesman said, "The percentage of beaches complying with the WQO has improved from 74 per cent in 1986 to 100 per cent in 2010, and the full compliance has been maintained for eight consecutive years since then.

     "The sustained improvement in beach water quality is the result of years of efforts to implement pollution control and environmental improvement measures such as the implementation of the Water Pollution Control Ordinance, Livestock Waste Control Scheme, Harbour Area Treatment Scheme, Sewerage Master Plans and extension of sewerage to the beach hinterland.

     "EPD will maintain close monitoring of all bathing beaches to ascertain that this achievement is sustained and that beach water quality can continue to meet the WQO," the spokesman added.

     The 2017 Beach Water Quality Report can be found at EPD's websites (www.beachwq.gov.hk and www.epd.gov.hk).

Ends/Thursday, March 29, 2018
Issued at HKT 11:30

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