The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 14) 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-nine beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), nine as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
| Approach Beach | Kwun Yam Beach |
| Big Wave Bay Beach* | Lo So Shing Beach |
| Butterfly Beach* | Lower Cheung Sha Beach |
| Cafeteria New Beach | Pui O Beach |
| Cafeteria Old Beach | Repulse Bay Beach* |
| Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach* | Shek O Beach* |
| Chung Hom Kok Beach | Silver Mine Bay Beach* |
| Clear Water Bay First Beach | Silverstrand Beach* |
| Clear Water Bay Second Beach* | South Bay Beach |
| Deep Water Bay Beach* | St Stephen's Beach |
| Golden Beach* | Tong Fuk Beach |
| Hap Mun Bay Beach* | Trio Beach |
| Hung Shing Yeh Beach* | Turtle Cove Beach |
| Kadoorie Beach | Upper Cheung Sha Beach |
| Kiu Tsui Beach |
Grade 2 beaches are:
| Casam Beach* | Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach* |
| Castle Peak Beach | Middle Bay Beach |
| Discovery Bay | Stanley Main Beach* |
| Hoi Mei Wan Beach | Ting Kau Beach |
| Lido Beach* |
Grade 3 beach is:
| Anglers' Beach |
Compared with the grading released last week, Silver Mine Bay Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Lido Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Ting Kau Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2, and Anglers' 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.
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: The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has resumed lifeguard services at 16 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk above, from April 16.
Note 2: Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.
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