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THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1989
GRADING OF BEACH WATER QUALITY
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) TODAY (THURSDAY} ANNOUNCED GRADES ON THE BACTERIAL WATER QUALITY OF ALL BATHING BEACHES IN TIONG KONG.
AN EPD SPOKESMAN SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE GRADING SYSTEM IS TO 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 B1WEEKLY 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 SOMF 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.
DURING
RATHING WATERS COMMONLY BECOME WORSE DUE TO HEAVY USAGE 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 SEVEN CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
MEAN
EACH THAN
THE
"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 LESS THAN 18 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
"C" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS E.COLF COUNT IS 1.000 OF MORE PER 100 MILLILITRES AT EACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS 18 OR MORE CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
POOR. THE MEAN
/THE DECISION