The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 28) released the latest grading of water quality for 38 gazetted beaches* that are open for swimming and one non-gazetted beach (i.e. Discovery Bay**).
        
     Seventeen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 16 as Fair (Grade 2) and six as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:        

Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach	Repulse Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach	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	Trio Beach***
Lo So Shing Beach	Turtle Cove Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach	Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Middle Bay Beach

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Butterfly Beach	Golden Beach
Cafeteria New Beach	Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Kadoorie Beach
Castle Peak Beach	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach	Pui O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach	Shek O Beach***
Deep Water Bay Beach***	Silver Mine Bay Beach
Discovery Bay	Silverstrand Beach

 
Grade 3 beaches are:

Anglers' Beach	Casam Beach
Approach Beach	Lido Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach	Ting Kau Beach

 
* The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced on September 17 that, due to urgent clearance work and maintenance of shark prevention nets after the Typhoon Mangkhut, all beaches in Southern, Tuen Mun, Tsuen Wan, Islands and Sai Kung Districts are temporarily closed until further notice.

** Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.

*** After the typhoon, damage was found at Sai Kung Sewage Treatment Works and some sewage pipes near Deep Water Bay and Tai Tau Chau at Shek O, leading to the discharge of sewage. The public are advised to avoid recreational activities at beaches including Kiu Tsui Beach, Trio Beach, Hap Mun Bay Beach, Deep Water Bay Beach and Shek O Beach where water quality may be affected in the near future.
  
     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.
      
     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.

Ends/Friday, September 28, 2018
Issued at HKT 17:00

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