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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 19) released the latest grading of water quality of 39 beaches.
Twenty-four beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 15 were rated as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Chung Hom Kok Beach Middle Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Shek O Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Silverstrand Beach
Discovery Bay* South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach St Stephen's Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach Stanley Main Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lido Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Grade 2 beaches are:
Anglers' Beach Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach
Approach Beach Golden Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Kadoorie Beach
Butterfly Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Pui O Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Casam Beach Ting Kau Beach
Castle Peak 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, Lido Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Pui O Beach has been upgraded from Grade 3 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.
Ends/Friday, September 19, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:01
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