Grading of beach water quality released

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (July 2) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (i.e. Discovery Bay, see Note 2).     
 
     Twenty-two beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 14 as Fair (Grade 2) and four as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:         

Butterfly Beach* Kwun Yam Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Lo So Shing Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach* Repulse Bay Beach*
Chung Hom Kok Beach Shek O Beach*
Clear Water Bay First Beach South Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach* Stanley Main Beach* 
Golden Beach* St Stephen's Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach* Tai Po Lung Mei Beach*
Hung Shing Yeh Beach* Trio Beach
Kadoorie Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Anglers' Beach Lido Beach*
Approach Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach* Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Cafeteria New Beach Middle Bay Beach
Casam Beach* Pui O Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach* Silverstrand Beach*
Discovery Bay Tong Fuk Beach

 
Grade 3 beaches are:

Castle Peak Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Hoi Mei Wan Beach Ting Kau Beach

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Butterfly Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Deep Water Bay Beach, Middle Bay Beach and Tong Fuk Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2, and Castle Peak 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: Lifeguard services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 17 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk above, from June 23.
 
Note 2: Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.