The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 12) released the latest grading of water quality for 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:   
 

Big Wave Bay Beach	Lido Beach
Cafeteria New Beach	Lo So Shing Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Casam 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
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	Deep Water Bay Beach
Approach Beach	Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach	Silverstrand Beach
Castle Peak Beach	Ting Kau Beach

     Compared with the grading released last week, Anglers' Beach and Silverstrand Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2. Deep Water Bay Beach has been upgraded from Grade 4 to Grade 2.
 
     "The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," the EPD spokesman said.
      
     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.
      
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades according to the geometric mean of the E coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions. Grade 4 is assigned to beaches whose E coli readings show abnormalities that may affect bathers' health. Bathers should avoid swimming at these beaches until their water quality improves.
      
     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.

Ends/Friday, May 12, 2017
Issued at HKT 17:43

NNNN