Grading of beach water quality released

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (October 12) released the latest grading of water quality for 38 gazetted beaches* that are open for swimming and one non-gazetted beach (i.e. Discovery Bay**).
        
     Twenty-four beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 14 as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:        

Cafeteria New 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
Discovery Bay Silverstrand Beach
Golden Beach South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach*** St Stephen's Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach Stanley Main Beach
Kadoorie Beach Tong Fuk Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach*** Trio Beach***
Kwun Yam Beach Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach Upper Cheung Sha Beach

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Anglers' Beach Deep Water Bay Beach
Approach Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach Lido Beach
Butterfly Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach Pui O Beach
Castle Peak Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach Ting Kau Beach

 
Grade 3 beach is:

Casam Beach  

 
* The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today that Butterfly Beach, Castle Peak Beach, Kadoorie Beach, Cafeteria Old Beach, Cafeteria New Beach, Golden Beach, Hoi Mei Wan Beach and Approach Beach will reopen on October 13 while Repulse Bay Beach will reopen on October 16. Meanwhile, other gazetted beaches in Southern, Tsuen Wan, Islands and Sai Kung Districts will remain closed until further notice.

** Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.

*** Sai Kung Sewage Treatment Works was recently damaged by the typhoon and is under repair. The public are advised to avoid recreational activities with water contact at Kiu Tsui Beach, Trio Beach and Hap Mun Bay Beach, where water quality may be temporarily affected until further notice.
 
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades 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 department's websites on Beach Water Quality (www.beachwq.gov.hk and www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.