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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 17) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 beaches.
Thirty-two beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and seven were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach Lido Beach
Butterfly Beach Lo So Shing Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Casam Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Castle Peak Beach Middle Bay Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Pui O Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Silverstrand Beach
* Discovery Bay South Bay Beach
Golden Beach St Stephen's Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach Stanley Main Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kadoorie Beach Trio Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Approach Beach Shek O Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Ting Kau Beach
Clear Water Bay First 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 and www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
Compared with the grading released last week, Butterfly Beach and Silver Mine Bay Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Cafeteria Old Beach has 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 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 the report "Beach Water Quality in Hong Kong 2014". The report summarises the water quality of gazetted beaches in 2014 and is accessible online at www.beachwq.gov.hk and www.epd.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, April 17, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:03
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