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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 16) released the latest grading of water quality of 39 beaches.
Seventeen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 14 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and eight were rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Chung Hom Kok Beach Middle Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach South Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach St Stephen's Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Stanley Main Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Golden Beach
Butterfly Beach Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Kiu Tsui Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Pui O Beach
Castle Peak Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Shek O Beach
Discovery Bay* Silver Mine Bay Beach
Grade 3 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Lido Beach
Approach Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Casam Beach Silverstrand Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach Ting Kau 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, Lower Cheung Sha Beach and Upper Cheung Sha Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Cafeteria Old Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2. Approach Beach, Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach and Ting Kau Beach have been changed from Grade 2 to Grade 3. Big Wave Bay Beach, Golden Beach and Shek O Beach have been upgraded to Grade 2 since their last grading (Grade 4) this Wednesday (May 14).
"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
"For Big Wave Bay Beach, Golden Beach and Shek O Beach, we observed temporary deterioration of water quality which was largely due to heavy rain. The latest samples obtained show that the water quality of these beaches has returned to normal. We will continue to monitor these beaches regularly."
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 16, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:01
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