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15
THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1989
GRADING OF BEACH WATER QUALITY
* * * * *
(THURSDAY) ALL BATHT:
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) TODAY
WATER ANNOUNCED GRADES ON THE BEACHES IN HONG KONG.
BACTERIAL
QUALITY OF
T
AN EPD SPOKESMAN SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE GRADING SYSTEM WAS
BACTERIA INFORM SWIMMERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT THE STATE OF POLLUTION AT VARIOUS BEACHES.
SEASON, TO COINCIDE USUALLY SAMPLED.
THE GRADING WILL BE
ANNOUNCED
WITH THE
FREQUENCY
DURING BIWEEKLY
AT WHICHBEACH WATERS
THE SWIMMIN
ART
OBTAINE
THE GRADING IS BASED ON THE MOST RECENT BACTERIA DATA BY THE EPD IN ITS ROUTINE MONITORING PROGRAMME.
GRADING ALSO INCLUDES AN
GASTROINTESTINAI HAS SOME DEGRE
THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE ESTIMATE OF THE RISK OF SUFFERING SOME MINOR SKIN OR COMPLAINTS AS A RESULT OF SWIMMING AT A BEACH WHICH OF POLLUTION.
BODY
OF STATISTICAL
A VERY THE ESTIMATE IS BASED ON
LARGE INFORMATION GATHERED IN HONG KONG DURING RECENT BATHING SEASONS.
THE SUMMER. THIS THE GRADING OF SOME BEACHES MAY VARY DURING
OF BATHING REPRESENTS A NATURAL FLUCTUATION IN THE BACTERIAL QUALITY
LESS POLLUTION WATERS IN MOST CASES, AS RAIN AND TIDES BRING MORE OR TO THE BEACHES.
BATHING WATERS COMMONLY BECOME WORSE DUE TO HEAVY USAGE
DURING
THE SUMMER.
OF THE
HOWEVER, THE GRADES GIVE A GOOD GENERAL PICTURE QUALITY AT BATHING BEACHES AT THE TIME OF REPORTING AND FORM THE AVAILABLE FORECAST FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.
WATER
BEST
THE SYSTEM FOR GRADING BEACH WATER QUALITY IS AS FOLLOWS:
THE
MEAN
"A" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS GOOD.
AT MILLILITRES
EACH E.COLI COUNT IS LESS THAN 100 PER 100
RISK IS LESS THAN BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH SEVEN CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
THE
LESS
"B" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS ACCEPTABLE.
IS LESS MEAN E.COLI COUNT
THAN
100 MILLILITRES 1,000 PER AT EACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS THAN 18 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
POOR. THE "C" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS
100 MILLILITRES AT IS 1,000 OR MORE PER E.COLI COUNT
18 OR BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
MEAN
EACH
MORE
/THE DECISION