13
THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 1989
THE GRADING 18 BASED ON THE MOST RECENT BACTERIA DATA BY THE EPD IN ITS ROUTINE MONITORING PROGRAMME.
OBTAINED
INCLUDES AN GASTROINTESTINAL
THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE GRADING ALSO ESTIMATE OF THE RISK OF SUFFERING SOME MINOR SKIN OR COMPLAINTS AS A RESULT OF SWIMMING AT A BEACH WHICH HAS SOME DEGREE OF POLLUTION.
STATISTICAL
A VERY LARGE BODY OF THE ESTIMATE IS BASED ON 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.
AND
DURING OF THE
FORM
BATHING WATERS COMMONLY BECOME WORSE DUE TO HEAVY USAGE
GENERAL PICTURE THE SUMMER. HOWEVER, THE GRADES GIVE A GOOD
OF REPORTING WATER QUALITY AT BATHING BEACHES AT THE TIME 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
100 MILLILITRES E. COLI COUNT IS LESS THAN 100 PER
HEALTH RISK IS BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED SEVEN CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
THE
MEAN
AT
EACH
LESS
THAN
THE
AT
"B" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS ACCEPTABLE.
MILLILITRES 100 MEAN E. COLI COUNT IS LESS THAN 1,000 PER EACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS LESS THAN 18 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
POOR. THE MEAN "C" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS
AT EACH PER 100 MILLILITRES E. COLI COUNT IS 1,000 OR MORE
MORE BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
BEACH
IS 18 OR
ΤΟ 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,
SEASON EXCEEDED SO THAT THE AVERAGE HEALTH RISK OVER THE BATHING CASES PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
15
SIMILARLY, A RECOMMENDATION TO RE-OPEN
GRADE ONLY BE CONSIDERED OBTAINED.
IF A "B"
OR
A CLOSED BETTER
BEACH WOULD
WERE
CONSISTENTLY
AT PRESENT, SIX BATHING BEACHES HAVE BEEN
DECLARED UNSUITABLE
FOR SWIMMING PURPOSE, BASED ON THE WATER QUALITY DURING PAST SEASONS.
/THESE BEACHES