The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 24) 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-five beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 15 as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
| Cafeteria New Beach* | Lower Cheung Sha Beach* |
| Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach* | Repulse Bay Beach* |
| Chung Hom Kok Beach | Shek O Beach* |
| Clear Water Bay First Beach | Silverstrand Beach* |
| Clear Water Bay Second Beach* | South Bay Beach* |
| Discovery Bay | St Stephen's Beach |
| Golden Beach* | Stanley Main Beach* |
| Hap Mun Bay Beach* | Tai Po Lung Mei 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 |
| Lo So Shing Beach |
Grade 2 beaches are:
| Anglers' Beach | Hoi Mei Wan Beach |
| Approach Beach | Lido Beach* |
| Big Wave Bay Beach* | Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach* |
| Butterfly Beach* | Middle Bay Beach |
| Cafeteria Old Beach | Pui O Beach* |
| Casam Beach* | Silver Mine Bay Beach* |
| Castle Peak Beach | Ting Kau Beach* |
| Deep Water Bay Beach* |
Compared with the grading released last week, Silverstrand Beach and Stanley Main Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Anglers' Beach, Deep Water Bay Beach, Hoi Mei Wan Beach and Middle Bay 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: Lifeguard services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 23 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk above, from September 10.
Note 2: Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.
Follow this news feed: East Asia