THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 1988
21
GRADING OF BEACH WATER QUALITY
WATER
ALL
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) TODAY (THURSDAY)
LATEST GRADES ON THE BACTERIAL ANNOUNCED THE
OF QUALITY BATHING BEACHES IN HONG KONG.
THE PURPOSE OF THE GRADING SYSTEM IS TO INFORM SWIMMERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC REGULARLY ABOUT THE STATE OF BACTERIAL POLLUTION AT VARIOUS BEACHES.
THE GRADING IS BASED ON THE E. COLI DATA OBTAINED BY THE EPD IN ITS ROUTINE BEACH WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAMME.
THE E. COLI DATA USED FOR GRADING ARE BASED ON THE MEDIAN OVER A TWO AND A VALUES OF THE MOST RECENT FIVE RESULTS, OBTAINED HALF MONTH PERIOD ACCORDING TO THE USUAL SAMPLING FREQUENCY.
REPRESENTS A IN MOST SWIMMING
THIS THE GRADES FOR SOME BEACHES MAY FLUCTUATE.
BEACHES NATURAL FLUCTUATION IN THE BACTERIAL QUALITY OF THE CASES, AS RAIN AND TIDES BRING MORE OR LESS POLLUTION TO THE AREAS.
THE
GENERAL PICTURE OF NEVERTHELESS, THE GRADES GIVE A GOOD
OF BEACHES, AND FORM BACTERIAL WATER QUALITY
THE BEST AVAILABLE FORECAST OF BEACH WATER QUALITY IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.
THE SYSTEM FOR GRADING BEACH WATER QUALITY IS AS FOLLOWS:
*
'A" GRADE INDICATES THE MEDIAN E. COLI COUNT [S BETWEEN
0-99 PER 100 MILLILITRES, AND THE WATER QUALITY IS GOOD.
E.
"B" GRADE INDICATES THE MEDIAN
100-999 PER 100 MILLILITRES, AND ACCEPTABLE.
COLI COUNT IS BETWEEN THE WATER
18
QUALITY
"C" GRADE INDICATES THE MEDIAN E. COLI COUNT IS 1,000 PER 100 MILLILITRES, AND THE WATER QUALITY IS POOR.
OR MORK
BEACH TO SWIMMERS IS THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO CLOSE A BASED ON A JUDGEMENT OF WHAT DEGREE OF POLLUTION IS ACCEPTABLE.
CONSIDERED
NORMALLY, A RECOMMENDATION ON CLOSURE WOULD ONLY BE
THE BY THE URBAN OR
REGIONAL COUNCIL IF A "C" GRADING OCCURRED REPEATEDLY. SIMILARLY, A RECOMMENDATION TO REOPEN A CLOSED BEACH WOULD
CONSIDERED ONLY BE
IF A "B" GRADE OR BETTER WERE CONSISTENTLY OBTAINED.
UNSUITABLE
AT PRESENT, FIVE BATHING BEACHES HAVE BEEN DECLARED FOR SWIMMING PURPOSES, BASED ON THE WATER QUALITY DURING PAST SEASONS.
I
CASTLE PEAK, SILVERMINE THESE BEACHES ARE ANGLERS'
BAY, OLD CAFETERIA AND ROCKY BAY. THEY ARE POLLUTED BY FARCAL WASTES AND FAILED TO ACHIEVE CONSISTENTLY THE WHO AND HONG KONG STANDARDS.
'THE PUBLIC