The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 28) released the latest grading of water quality of 37 gazetted beaches and one non-gazetted beach (Discovery Bay) that are open for swimming.
 
     Thirty beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and eight as Fair (Grade 2).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:
 

Anglers' Beach	Lo So Shing Beach
Big Wave Bay 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	Pui O 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
Hung Shing Yeh Beach	Stanley Main Beach
Kadoorie Beach	Tong Fuk Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach	Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach	Turtle Cove Beach
Lido Beach	Upper Cheung Sha Beach

 
Grade 2 beaches are:
 

Approach Beach	Castle Peak Beach
Butterfly Beach	Golden Beach
Cafeteria New Beach	Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Casam Beach	Ting Kau Beach

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Approach Beach, Cafeteria New Beach, Casam Beach and Ting Kau Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2. Castle Peak Beach has been upgraded to Grade 2 since its last grading (Grade 4) on April 25.

     "The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," the EPD spokesman said.

     "For Castle Peak Beach, we observed that the earlier temporary deterioration of water quality (sampled on April 24) was due to heavy rain. The latest sample taken shows that the water quality of the beach has improved."

     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.

     The EPD spokesman advised the public to check the latest update from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department before swimming in Hap Mun Bay Beach (Sai Kung District), which may be affected by suspected red tides found recently.
 
     The EPD spokesman also 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.

     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.

Ends/Friday, April 28, 2017
Issued at HKT 15:10

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