ART
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1987
9
BEACH WATER QUALITY GRADING RELEASED
THE
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT
(EPD)
TODAY
(THURSDAY) ANNOUNCED THE LATEST BACTERIAL WATER QUALITY GRADES FOR ALL BATHING BEACHES IN HONG KONG.
THIS IS THE LAST ANNOUNCEMENT MADE ON GRADINGS THIS YEAR AS THE BATHING SEASON COMES OCTOBER.
BEACH WATER QUALITY TO AN END BY LATE
THE GRADING IS BASED ON THE R.COLI DATA OBTAINED BY EPD IN ITS ROUTINE BEACH WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAMME. THE E.COLI DATA USED FOR GRADING ARE BASED ON THE MEDIAN VALUES OF THE MOST RECENT FIVE RESULTS, OBTAINED OVER A TWO-AND-A-HALF MONTH PERIOD ACCORDING TO THE USUAL SAMPLING FREQUENCY.
BRACHES MIGHT
A SPOKESMAN FOR EPD SAID THE GRADES FOR SOME FLUCTUATE. THIS REPRESENTED A NATURAL FLUCTUATION IN THE BACTERIAL QUALITY OF THE BEACHES, AS RAIN AND TIDES BROUGHT MORE OR LESS POLLUTION TO THE SWIMMING AREAS.
NEVERTHELESS THE GRADES GAVE A GOOD GENERAL PICTURE OF THE BACTERIAL WATER QUALITY OF THE BEACHES AND FORM THE BEST AVAILABLE FORECAST OF THE BEACH WATER QUALITY IN THE IMMEDIATE PUTURE, HE SAID.
THE SYSTEM FOR GRADING BEACH WATER QUALITY IS AS FOLLOW:
"A" GRADE INDICATES THE MEDIAN E.COLI COUNT IS BETWEEN 0-99 PER 100 MILLILITRES, AND THE WATER QUALITY IS GOOD.
"B" GRADE INDICATES THE MEDIAN E.COLI COUNT IS BETWEEN PER 100 MILLILITRES, AND THE WATER QUALITY IS ACCEPTABLE.
100-999
"C" GRADE INDICATES THE MEDIAN E.COLI COUNT IS 1000 OR MORE PER 100 MILLILITRES, AND THE WATER QUALITY IS POOR.
THE SPOKESMAN STRESSED THAT THE DECISION TO CLOSE A BEACH ΤΟ SWIMMERS WAS BASED ON A JUDGEMENT OF WHAT DEGREE OF POLLUTION WAS ACCEPTABLE.
NORMALLY, A RECOMMENDATION ON CLOSURE WOULD ONLY BR CONSIDERED BY THE URBAN OR REGIONAL COUNCIL IF A "C" GRADING OCCURRED REPEATEDLY. SIMILARLY A RECOMMENDATION TO REOPEN A CLOSED BEACH WOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED IF A "B" GRADE OR BETTER WERE CONSISTENTLY OBTAINED. THIS IS IN LINE WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION.
/THE GRADES
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