Grading of beach water quality released

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (October 19) released the latest grading of water quality of 38 gazetted beaches* that are open for swimming and one non-gazetted beach (i.e. Discovery Bay**).
        
     Twenty-seven beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 12 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 Silverstrand Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach South Bay Beach
Discovery Bay St Stephen's Beach
Golden Beach Stanley Main 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
Kwun Yam Beach  

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Anglers' Beach Hoi Mei Wan 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 Ting Kau Beach

 
*: The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today that Hung Shing Yeh Beach will reopen tomorrow (October 20). In addition, LCSD has also announced earlier on the reopening of Butterfly Beach, Castle Peak Beach, Kadoorie Beach, Cafeteria Old Beach, Cafeteria New Beach and Golden Beach in Tuen Mun District; Anglers' Beach, Hoi Mei Wan Beach, Approach Beach and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach in Tsuen Wan District; Lo So Shing Beach in Islands District; and Repulse Bay Beach in Southern District. 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.

***: The Sai Kung Sewage Treatment Works recently damaged by typhoon is under repair. The public is advised to avoid water contact recreational activities 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. 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 or www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.