THURSDAY, MAY 25, 1989
11
GRADING OF BEACH WATER QUALITY
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) TODAY (THURSDAY) ANNOUNCED GRADES ON THE BACTERIAL WATER QUALITY OF ALL BATHING
BEACHES IN HONG KONG.
AN EFD SPOKESMAN SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE GRADING SYSTEM IS то INFORM SWIMMERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT THE STATE OF BACTERIAL POLLUTION AT VARIOUS BEACHES,
THE GRADING WILL BE SEASON, TO COINCIDE WITH THE USUALLY SAMPLED.
ANNOUNCED BIWEEKLY DURING THE BATHING FREQUENCY AT WHICH BEACH WATERS ARE
THE GRADING IS BASED ON THE MOST RECENT BACTERIA DATA OBTAINED BY THE EPD IN ITS ROUTINE MONITORING PROGRAMME.
THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE GRADING ALSO INCLUDES AN ESTIMATE OF THE RISK OF SUFFERING SOME MINOR SKIN OR GASTROINTESTINAL COMPLAINTS AS A RESULT OF SWIMMING AT A BEACH WHICH HAS SOME DEGREE OF POLLUTION.
THE ESTIMATE IS BASED ON A VERY LARGE BODY OF STATISTICAL INFORMATION GATHERED IN HONG KONG DURING RECENT BATHING SEASONS.
THE GRADING OF SOME BEACHES MAY VARY DURING THE SUMMER. THIS REPRESENTS A NATURAL FLUCTUATION IN THE BACTERIAL QUALITY OF BATHING WATERS IN MOST CASES, AS RAIN AND TIDES BRING MORE OR LESS POLLUTION TO THE BEACHES.
BATHING WATERS COMMONLY BECOME WORSE DUE TO HEAVY USAGE DURING THE SUMMER. HOWEVER, THE GRADES GIVE A GOOD GENERAL PICTURE OF THE WATER QUALITY AT BATHING BEACHES AT THE TIME OF REPORTING AND FORM THE BEST AVAILABLE FORECAST FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.
THE SYSTEM FOR GRADING BEACH WATER QUALITY IS AS FOLLOWS:
"A" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS GOOD. THE E.COLI COUNT IS LESS THAN 100 PER 100 MILLILITRES AT BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS LESS THAN SEVEN CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
MEAN BACH
"B" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS ACCEPTABLE. THE MEAN E.COLI COUNT IS LESS THAN 1.000 PER 100 MILLILITRES AT EACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS LE39 THAN 18 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
MEAN AT EACH
"C" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS POOR. THE E.COLI COUNT IS 1,000 OR MORE PER 100 MILLILITRES BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS 18 OR MORE CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO CLOSE A BEACH ΤΟ SWIMMERS 15 BASED ON A JUDGEMENT OF WHAT DEGREE OF POLLUTION IS ACCEPTABLE.
/NORMALLY,