***************************************
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 11) released the latest grading of water quality of 38 beaches.
Twenty-six beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 12 were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Kwun Yam Beach
Butterfly Beach Lo So Shing Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Middle Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach South Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach St. Stephen's Beach
Discovery Bay* Stanley Main Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Kadoorie Beach
Approach Beach Lido Beach
Casam Beach Pui O Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Golden Beach Silverstrand Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach Trio 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.
Compared with the grading released last week, Chung Hom Kok Beach and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Pui O Beach from Grade 4 to Grade 2; Golden Beach, Silver Mine Bay Beach and Trio Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2.
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
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.
Meanwhile, the department has published a report entitled "Beach Water Quality in Hong Kong 2013". The report summarises the water quality of gazetted beaches in 2013 and is accessible at a dedicated website at www.beachwq.gov.hk and EPD's website at www.epd.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, April 11, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:00
NNNN
