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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 25) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 beaches.
Seventeen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 18 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and two were rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Pui O Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Discovery Bay* St. Stephen's Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Trio Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lo So Shing Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lido Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Casam Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Castle Peak Beach Middle Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silverstrand Beach
Golden Beach Stanley Main Beach
Grade 3 beaches are:
Approach Beach
Silver Mine Bay 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 or www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Pui O Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to 1. Clear Water Bay First Beach and Stanley Main Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to 2 and Approach Beach has been changed from Grade 2 to 3.
Kiu Tsui Beach and Silverstrand Beach have been upgraded to Grade 1 and Grade 2 respectively since their last grading (Grade 4) this Tuesday (May 22).
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches except for Kiu Tsui Beach and Silverstrand Beach," an EPD spokesman said.
"For Kiu Tsui Beach and Silverstrand Beach, we observed temporary deterioration of water quality largely due to heavy rain. The latest samples taken show that the water quality of these beaches has returned to normal."
Under our 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/Friday, May 25, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:01
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