Grading of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 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-six beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 13 as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach* | Kwun Yam Beach |
Butterfly Beach* | Lo So Shing Beach |
Cafeteria New Beach | Middle Bay Beach |
Cafeteria Old Beach | Repulse Bay Beach* |
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach* | Shek O Beach* |
Chung Hom Kok Beach | South Bay Beach* |
Clear Water Bay Second Beach* | St. Stephen's Beach |
Deep Water Bay Beach* | 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* | Lido Beach* |
Approach Beach | Lower Cheung Sha Beach |
Casam Beach* | Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach* |
Castle Peak Beach | Pui O Beach* |
Clear Water Bay First Beach | Silver Mine Bay Beach* |
Discovery Bay | Ting Kau Beach* |
Hoi Mei Wan Beach |
Grade 3 beach is:
Silverstrand Beach* | |
Compared with the grading released last week, Big Wave Bay Beach, Butterfly Beach, Golden Beach, Kadoorie Beach, Kwun Yam Beach, and Stanley Main Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach and Ting Kau Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2.
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.
While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, an EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a storm or heavy rainfall.
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 22 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk (*) above, from May 1.
Note 2: Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.