Grading of beach water quality released

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (October 22) 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), 13 as Fair (Grade 2) and two as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:         

Cafeteria New Beach* Lo So Shing 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 South Bay Beach*
Clear Water Bay Second Beach* St Stephen's Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach* Stanley Main Beach*
Discovery Bay Tai Po Lung Mei Beach*
Golden Beach* Tong Fuk Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach* Trio Beach*
Hung Shing Yeh Beach* Turtle Cove Beach
Kadoorie Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach  

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Anglers' Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach*
Approach Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Big Wave Bay Beach* Pui O Beach*
Butterfly Beach* Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Castle Peak Beach* Silverstrand Beach*
 
Hoi Mei Wan Beach Ting Kau Beach*
Kwun Yam Beach  

 
Grade 3 beaches are:

Casam Beach* Lido Beach*

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