Grading of beach water quality released

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 17) 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-five beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 10 as Fair (Grade 2) and four as Poor (Grade 3).

Grade 1 beaches are:           

Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Pui O Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach Shek O Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach Silverstrand Beach
Discovery Bay South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach St Stephen's Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Stanley Main Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Trio Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Middle Bay Beach  

Grade 2 beaches are:

Anglers' Beach Golden Beach
Approach Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Lido Beach
Cafeteria New Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Casam Beach Ting Kau Beach

Grade 3 beaches are:

Butterfly Beach Castle Peak Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Kadoorie Beach

     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: To tie in with the response level under the Preparedness and Response Plan for Novel Infectious Disease of Public Health Significance having been raised to the Emergency Response Level and to encourage people to avoid gathering, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department has announced that all beaches will continue to be temporarily closed until further notice.
 
Note 2: Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.