Grading of beach water quality released

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     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (August 23) released the latest grading of water quality for 38 gazetted beaches that are open for swimming and one non-gazetted beach (Discovery Bay*).   
   
     Twenty-one beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 16 as Fair (Grade 2) and two as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:         

Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Middle Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach South Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach St Stephen's Beach
Discovery Bay Stanley Main 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:

Anglers' Beach Kadoorie Beach
Approach Beach Lido Beach
Butterfly Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Pui O Beach
Casam Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Golden Beach Silverstrand Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach Ting Kau Beach

 
Grade 3 beaches are:

Big Wave Bay Beach Castle Peak Beach

 
* Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.
 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Deep Water Bay Beach and Middle Bay Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, Approach Beach and Silver Mine Bay Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2.  Silverstrand Beach has been changed from Grade 1 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 the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, including 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 department's website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.

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