Grading of beach water quality released

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (July 16) 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).     
 
     Nineteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 17 as Fair (Grade 2) and four as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:         

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

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Approach Beach Kadoorie Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach* Lido Beach*
Butterfly Beach* Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Casam Beach* Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Clear Water Bay Second Beach* Middle Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach* Pui O Beach
Discovery Bay Silverstrand Beach*
Golden Beach* Tong Fuk Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach  

 
Grade 3 beaches are:

Anglers' Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Castle Peak Beach Ting Kau Beach

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Cafeteria New Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1 and Approach Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Anglers' Beach and Castle Peak Beach have been changed 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.