Grading of beach water quality released
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     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (August 13) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (i.e. Discovery Bay, see Note 2).
 
     Nineteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 20 as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cafeteria New Beach Shek O Beach*
Chung Hom Kok Beach Silverstrand Beach*
Clear Water Bay First Beach South Bay Beach
Discovery Bay St Stephen's Beach
Golden Beach* Stanley Main Beach*
Hap Mun Bay Beach* Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach* Trio Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Repulse Bay Beach*  
 
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Approach Beach Kadoorie Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach* Kwun Yam Beach
Butterfly Beach* Lido Beach*
Cafeteria Old Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Casam Beach* Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Castle Peak Beach Middle Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach* Pui O Beach *
Clear Water Bay Second Beach* Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Deep Water Bay Beach* Tai Po Lung Mei Beach*
 
Grade 3 beach is:
Ting Kau Beach
 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Clear Water Bay First Beach and Silverstrand Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Ting Kau Beach has been changed from Grade 2 to Grade 3.
 
     "The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
 
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), 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 EPD's website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
 
Note 1: Lifeguard services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 18 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk above, from July 17.
 
Note 2: Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.

Ends/Friday, August 13, 2021
Issued at HKT 16:00

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