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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 23) released the latest grading of water quality of 39 beaches.
Eleven beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 21 were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and seven were rated as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Clear Water Bay First Beach South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach St Stephen's Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Trio Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Butterfly Beach Kiu Tsui Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Middle Bay Beach
Castle Peak Beach Pui O Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Silverstrand Beach
Discovery Bay* Stanley Main Beach
Golden Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Kadoorie Beach
Grade 3 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Approach Beach Lido Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Ting Kau Beach
Casam 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, Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach and Silverstrand Beach have been upgraded from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Chung Hom Kok Beach, Deep Water Bay Beach, Middle Bay Beach, Stanley Main Beach and Turtle Cove Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2. Clear Water Bay Second Beach has been upgraded to Grade 2 since its last grading (Grade 4) this Tuesday (May 20). Big Wave Bay Beach has been upgraded to Grade 3 since its last grading (Grade 4) yesterday (May 22).
"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 and Clear Water Bay Second 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 resumed 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 23, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:05
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