Grading of beach water quality released

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (October 8) 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-six beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 14 as Fair (Grade 2).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:         

Cafeteria New Beach* Lo So Shing Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach*
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach* Middle Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach Repulse Bay Beach*
Clear Water Bay First Beach Shek O Beach*
Clear Water Bay Second Beach* South Bay Beach*
Deep Water Bay Beach* St Stephen's Beach
Discovery Bay Stanley Main Beach*
Golden Beach* Tai Po Lung Mei Beach*
Hap Mun Bay Beach* Tong Fuk 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 Kwun Yam Beach
Approach Beach Lido Beach*
Big Wave Bay Beach* Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Butterfly Beach* Pui O Beach*
Casam Beach* Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Castle Peak Beach* Silverstrand Beach*
Hoi Mei Wan Beach Ting Kau Beach*

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Kwun Yam Beach, Pui O Beach and Silverstrand 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 24 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk above, from October 1.
 
Note 2: Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.