Grading of beach water quality released

image_pdfimage_print

     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.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.