The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 16) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 gazetted beaches and one non-gazetted beach (Discovery Bay) that are open for swimming.

     Twenty-one beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 15 as Fair (Grade 2) and two as Poor (Grade 3).

Grade 1 beaches are:

Chung Hom Kok Beach	Middle Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach	Repulse Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay 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
Kiu Tsui Beach	Trio Beach
Kwun Yam Beach	Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach	Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach

Grade 2 beaches are:

Anglers' Beach	Clear Water Bay First Beach
Approach Beach	Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach	Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria New Beach	Lido Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Pui O Beach
Casam Beach	Silverstrand Beach
Castle Peak Beach	Ting Kau Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach

Grade 3 beaches are:

Butterfly Beach

Lower Cheung Sha Beach

     Compared with the grading released last week, Discovery Bay and Middle Bay Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Pui O Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2, and Lower Cheung Sha Beach from Grade 2 to Grade 3.

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

     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.

     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, June 16, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:00

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