21
FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 1989
THE ESTIMATE IS BASED ON A VERY LARGE BODY OF INFORMATION GATHERED IN HONG KONG IN RECENT BATHING SEASONS.
STATISTICAL
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 TO THE BEACHES.
LESS
POLLUTION
BATHING WATERS COMMONLY BECOME WORSE DUE TO HEAVY USAGE DURING OF THE THE SUMMER. HOWEVER, THE GRADES GIVE A GOOD GENERAL PICTURE
OF WATER QUALITY AT BATHING BEACHES AT THE TIME
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 BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS SEVEN CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
MEAN
AT
EACH
LESS
THAN
"B" GRADE
INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS ACCEPTABLE. MEAN E. COLI COUNT IS LESS THAN 1,000 PER 100 MILLILITRES AT EACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS THAN 18 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1.000 SWIMMERS.
THE
LESS
POOR. "C" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS
IS 1.000 OR MORE PER E.COLI COUNT
100 MILLILITRES AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS 18 OR BEACH SO GRADED, CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
THE
MEAN
AT
EACH
MORE
BEACH TO
SWIMMERS
IS
THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO CLOSE A BASED ON A JUDGEMENT OF WHAT DEGREE OF POLLUTION IS ACCEPTABLE.
NORMALLY, A RECOMMENDATION ON CLOSURE WOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED BY THE URBAN OR REGIONAL COUNCIL IF A "C" GRADING OCCURRED REPEATEDLY, SO THAT THE AVERAGE HEALTH RISK OVER EXCEEDED 15 CASES PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
THE
BATHING SEASON
A CLOSED SIMILARLY, A RECOMMENDATION TO RE-OPEN
CONSIDERED IF A "B" GRADE OR BETTER
BEACH
WOULD
WERE CONSISTENTLY
ONLY BE OBTAINED.
DECLARED
AT PRESENT, SIX BATHING BEACHES HAVE BEEN FOR SWIMMING PURPOSE, BASED ON THE WATER QUALITY DURING PAST THESE
ARE BEACHES
CASTLE ANGLERS' CAFETERIA. ROCKY BAY AND TING KAU,
BY FAECAL
PEAK.
UNSUITABLE SEASONS.
OLD
BAY. SILVERMINE
THEY ARE POLLUTED
WASTES AND FAILED TO ACHIEVE CONSISTENTLY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION AND HONG KONG STANDARDS.
THE PUBLIC ARE ADVISED NOT TO SWIM IN THESE SIX BEACHES. ARE IDENTIFIED BY AN "X" IN THE FOLLOWING TABLE.
THEY
THE GRADES