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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 5) released the latest grading of water quality of 37 beaches.
Twenty-eight beaches were rated as good (grade 1) and nine were rated as fair (grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Lo So Shing Beach
Butterfly Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Castle Peak Beach Middle Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Pui O Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Shek O Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Silverstrand Beach
Discovery Bay* South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lido Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Approach Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Kadoorie Beach
Casam Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Stanley Main Beach
Golden 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. 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 or www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Noting that red tides have recently affected Silver Mine Bay Beach in Islands District and Silverstrand Beach in Sai Kung District, an EPD spokesman advised the public to check the latest update from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department before swimming.
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.
Meanwhile, the department has published a report entitled "Beach Water Quality in Hong Kong 2011". The report summarises the water quality at gazetted beaches in 2011 and is accessible at a dedicated website at www.beachwq.gov.hk and EPD's website at www.epd.gov.hk.
Ends/Thursday, April 5, 2012
Issued at HKT 17:03
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