The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 27) released the latest grading of water quality for 38 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (i.e. Discovery Bay, see Note 2).

     Twenty-one beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 13 as Fair (Grade 2) and five as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:

Big Wave Bay Beach	Pui O Beach*
Cafeteria Old Beach	Repulse Bay Beach*
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach	South Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach	St Stephen's Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach*	Stanley Main Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach*	Tai Po Lung Mei Beach*
Hap Mun Bay Beach*	Tong Fuk Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach*	Trio Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach	Turtle Cove Beach
Kwun Yam Beach	Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lo So Shing Beach

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Butterfly Beach*	Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria New Beach	Middle Bay Beach
Castle Peak Beach	Shek O Beach*
Clear Water Bay First Beach	Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Discovery Bay	Silverstrand Beach*
Golden Beach*	Ting Kau Beach
Kadoorie Beach

   
Grade 3 beaches are:

Approach Beach	Lido Beach*
Casam Beach*	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Hoi Mei Wan Beach

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Castle Peak Beach, Discovery Bay, Kadoorie Beach, Lower Cheung Sha Beach, Middle Bay Beach and Silverstrand Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2, and Ma Wan Tung Wan 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," an EPD spokesman said.
 
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), 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.
 
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, the EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected 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 EPD's website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
 
Note 1: Lifeguard services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 15 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk above, from May 5.
 
Note 2: Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.

Ends/Friday, May 27, 2022
Issued at HKT 16:00

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