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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1989
GRADING OF BEACH WATER QUALITY
{THURSDAY I
OF ALL BATHING
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) TODAY ANNOUNCED GRADES ON THE
WATER QUALITY
BEACHES IN HONG KONG,
BACTERIAL
IS TO AN EPD SPOKESMAN SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE GRADING SYSTEM
STATE OF BACTERIAL INFORM SWIMMERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT THE POLLUTION AT VARIOUS BEACHES.
BE
THE GRADING WILL SEASON, TO COINCIDE WITH THE USUALLY SAMPLED.
ANNOUNCED
FREQUENCY
BIWEEKLY
AT WHICH
THE DURING
BEACH
WATERS
BATHING ARE
THE GRADING IS BASED ON THE MOST RECENT BACTERIA DATA BY THE EPD IN ITS ROUTINE MONITORING PROGRAMME.
OBTAINED
GRADING ALSO INCLUDES AN THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE
GASTROINTESTINAL 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
VERY A
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.
DURING BATHING WATERS COMMONLY BECOME WORSE DUE TO HEAVY USAGE
GENERAL PICTURE OF THE THE SUMMER. HOWEVER, THE GRADES GIVE A GOOD
OF REPORTING AND FORM 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:
GOOD. THE "A" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS
PER 100 MILLILITRES AT E. COLI COUNT IS LESS THAN 100
HEALTH RISK 15 LESS BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED SEVEN CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1.000 SWIMMERS.
MEAN
EACH
THAN
ACCEPTABLE. THE "B" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY 15
100 MILLILITRES AT 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
PER 100 MILLILITRES AT
EACH E. COLI COUNT IS 1,000 OR MORE
IS 18 OR MORE BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
/THE DECISION
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