HK's Updates: Grading of beach water quality released (26 Apr 2013)

Press Release

Grading of beach water quality released

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 26) released the latest grading of water quality of 36 beaches.

Fourteen beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), twenty were rated as Fair (Grade 2) and two were rated as Poor (Grade 3).

Grade 1 beaches are: 

Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach Chung Hom Kok Beach Clear Water Bay Second Beach Hap Mun Bay Beach Hung Shing Yeh Beach Kiu Tsui Beach Lo So Shing Beach

Lower Cheung Sha Beach Repulse Bay Beach South Bay Beach St. Stephen's Beach Tong Fuk Beach Trio Beach Turtle Cove Beach

Grade 2 beaches are: 

Big Wave Bay Beach Butterfly Beach Cafeteria New Beach Cafeteria Old Beach Casam Beach Clear Water Bay First Beach Deep Water Bay Beach Discovery Bay* Golden Beach Hoi Mei Wan Beach

Kadoorie Beach Kwun Yam Beach Lido Beach Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach Middle Bay Beach Pui O Beach Shek O Beach Silver Mine Bay Beach Silverstrand Beach Stanley Main Beach

Grade 3 beaches are: 

Approach Beach

Castle Peak Beach

The beach with an asterisk is a non-gazetted beach. All gazetted beaches are equipped with shark nets.
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.

Compared with the grading released last week, Cafeteria New Beach has been upgraded from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Shek O Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to 2. Approach Beach and Castle Peak Beach have been changed from Grade 2 to 3.

"The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.

Under our 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.

Grade 4 is assigned to beaches whose last E. coli reading exceeded a threshold figure, irrespective of the geometric mean. Swimmers are advised to avoid these beaches until the water quality improves.
People are advised not to swim at the closed beaches.

The EPD spokesman warned that many beaches were likely to be more polluted than their grades suggested during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a storm or heavy rainfall.

Meanwhile, the department has published a report entitled "Beach Water Quality in Hong Kong 2012". The report summarises the water quality of gazetted beaches in 2012 and is accessible at a dedicated website at www.beachwq.gov.hk and EPD's website at www.epd.gov.hk.

Ends/Friday, April 26, 2013

For more information: http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/news_events/press/press_130426a.html and http://www.beachwq.gov.hk/en/map.aspx