The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 4) 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-eight beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and eleven as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
| Big Wave Bay Beach* | Lo So Shing Beach |
| Cafeteria New Beach | Lower Cheung Sha Beach |
| Cafeteria Old Beach | Middle Bay Beach |
| Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach* | Repulse Bay Beach* |
| Chung Hom Kok Beach | Shek O Beach* |
| Clear Water Bay First Beach | Silver Mine Bay Beach* |
| Clear Water Bay Second Beach* | Silverstrand Beach* |
| Discovery Bay | South Bay Beach |
| Golden Beach* | Stanley Main Beach* |
| Hap Mun Bay Beach* | St Stephen's Beach |
| Hung Shing Yeh Beach* | Tong Fuk Beach |
| Kadoorie Beach | Trio Beach |
| Kiu Tsui Beach | Turtle Cove Beach |
| Kwun Yam Beach | Upper Cheung Sha Beach |
Grade 2 beaches are:
| Anglers' Beach | Hoi Mei Wan Beach |
| Approach Beach | Lido Beach* |
| Butterfly Beach* | Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach* |
| Casam Beach* | Pui O Beach |
| Castle Peak Beach | Ting Kau Beach |
| Deep Water Bay Beach* |
Compared with the grading released last week, Discovery Bay has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, Anglers' Beach and Lido Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Deep Water Bay Beach and Pui O Beach have 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, 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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