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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1987
GRADING OF BEACH WATER QUALITY
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) TODAY {THURSDAY) ANNOUNCED FOR THE FOURTH TIME, THE BACTERIAL WATER QUALITY GRADES FOR ALL BATHING BEACHES IN HONG KONG.
THE GRADING IS BASED ON THE E.COLI DATA OBTAINED BY EPD IN ITS ROUTINE BEACH WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAMME. THE E.COLI DATA
THE MEDIAN VALUES USED FOR GRADING ARE BASED ON
OF THE FIVE MOST RECENT RESULTS, OBTAINED OVER A TWO-AND-A-HALF MONTH PERIOD ACCORDING TO THE USUAL SAMPLING FREQUENCY.
A SPOKESMAN OF EPD SAID THE GRADES FOR SOME BEACHES MAY FLUCTUATE. THIS REPRESENTS A NATURAL FLUCTUATION IN THE BACTERIAL
THE QUALITY OF
BEACHES, AS RAIN AND TIDES BRING MORE OR LESS POLLUTION TO THE SWIMMING AREAS. NEVERTHELESS THE GRADES GIVE
QUALITY OF GENERAL PICTURE OF THE BACTERIAL WATER
WATER FORM THE BEST AVAILABLE FORECAST OF THE BEACH IMMEDIATE FUTURE.
A GOOD
THE BEACHES IN QUALITY
AND
THE
THE SYSTEM FOR GRADING BEACH WATER QUALITY IS AS BELOW:
A GRADE INDICATES THE MEDIAN E.COLI COUNT IS BETWEEN 0-99 100 MILLILITRES, AND THE WATER QUALITY IS GOOD.
PER
B GRADE INDICATES THE MEDIAN E.COLI COUNT IS BETWEEN 100-999 PER 100 MILLILITRES, AND THE WATER QUALITY IS ACCEPTABLE.
C GRADE INDICATES THE MEDIAN E.COLI COUNT IS 1000 OR MORE PER 100 MILLILITRES, AND THE WATER QUALITY IS POOR.
ΤΟ
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NEED то IF A "C" ΤΟ REOPEN A OR BETTER WERE
WHETHER HE SAID THE DECISION
OR NOT TO CLOSE A BEACH SWIMMERS IS BASED ON A JUDGEMENT WHAT DEGREE OF POLLUTION ACCEPTABLE. NORMALLY, A RECOMMENDATION ON CLOSURE WOULD ONLY
COUNCIL OR REGIONAL COUNCIL BE CONSIDERED BY THE URBAN GRADING OCCURRED REPEATEDLY. SIMILARLY A RECOMMENDATION CLOSED BEACH WOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED IF A "B" GRADE CONSISTENTLY OBTAINED. THIS IS IN LINE WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION.
/THE GRADES