Grading of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 8) released the latest grading of water quality for 37 gazetted beaches and one non-gazetted beach (Discovery Bay) that are open for swimming.
Twenty-five beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 12 as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Very Poor (Grade 4).
Grade 1 beaches are:
| Big Wave Bay Beach | Lower Cheung Sha Beach |
| Cafeteria New Beach | Middle Bay Beach |
| Cafeteria Old Beach | Pui O Beach |
| Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach | Repulse Bay Beach |
| Chung Hom Kok Beach | Shek O Beach |
| Clear Water Bay Second Beach | South Bay Beach |
| Deep Water Bay Beach | St Stephen's Beach |
| Golden Beach | Stanley Main Beach |
| Hap Mun Bay Beach | Tong Fuk Beach |
| Hung Shing Yeh Beach | Trio Beach |
| Kiu Tsui Beach | Turtle Cove Beach |
| Kwun Yam Beach | Upper Cheung Sha Beach |
| Lo So Shing Beach |
Grade 2 beaches are:
| Anglers' Beach | Hoi Mei Wan Beach |
| Approach Beach | Kadoorie Beach |
| Butterfly Beach | Lido Beach |
| Casam Beach | Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach |
| Castle Peak Beach | Silverstrand Beach |
| Clear Water Bay First Beach | Ting Kau Beach |
Grade 4 beach is:
| Discovery Bay |
Compared with the grading released last week, Cafeteria New Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Lido Beach and Ting Kau Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Silverstrand Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2 and Discovery Bay from Grade 1 to Grade 4.
"The deterioration of water quality at Discovery Bay was due to the heavy rain yesterday (June 7), while the changes in other beaches are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," the EPD spokesman said.
The EPD spokesman also 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.
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.