Grading of beach water quality released

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 30) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (see Note 2).
      
     Seventeen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 16 as Fair (Grade 2), six as Poor (Grade 3) and one as Very Poor (Grade 4).
      
Grade 1 beaches are:           

Cafeteria Old Beach Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach* Shek O Beach*
Chung Hom Kok Beach South Bay Beach*
Golden Beach* St Stephen's Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach* Tai Po Lung Mei Beach*
Hung Shing Yeh Beach* Tong Fuk Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Kwun Yam Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Lo So Shing Beach  

 
Grade 2 beaches are: 

Big Wave Bay Beach* Middle Bay Beach
Butterfly Beach* Pui O Beach*
Cafeteria New Beach Repulse Bay Beach*
Castle Peak Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Clear Water Bay First Beach Silverstrand Beach*
Clear Water Bay Second Beach* Stanley Main Beach*
Discovery Bay Ting Kau Beach*
Kadoorie Beach* Trio Beach

 
Grade 3 beaches are:

Anglers' Beach* Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Casam Beach* Lido Beach*
Deep Water Bay Beach* Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*

 
Grade 4 beach is:

Approach Beach  

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Golden Beach, Kiu Tsui Beach and Lower Cheung Sha Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Big Wave Bay Beach, Clear Water Bay Second Beach and Trio Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2, Casam Beach, Deep Water Bay Beach, Hoi Mei Wan Beach, Lido Beach and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach from Grade 2 to Grade 3, and Approach Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 4.
      
     "Approach Beach has been rated as Grade 4 on June 28, which was largely due to the unsteady weather in the past two weeks," 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.
      
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, the 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: The non-gazetted beach is Discovery Bay which has no lifeguard service.