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17
FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 1990
THE SYSTEM FOR GRADING BEACH WATER QUALITY IS AS FOLLOWS:
GRADE "1" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS GOOD. THE E.COLI COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 24 PER 100 MILLILITRES AT EACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED RISK OF MINOR ILLNESS TO SWIMMERS IS
UNDETECTABLE.
11
11
GRADE '2' INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS FAIR. THE B.COLI COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 180 PER 100 MILLILITRES AT EACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS NO MORE THAN 10 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
THE
GRADE *3* INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS ACCEPTABLE. E.COLI COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 610 PER 100 MILLILITRES AT BACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS NO MORE THAN 15 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
**
GRADE 4" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS POOR. THE E.COLI COUNT IS MORE THAN 610 PER 100 MILLILITRES AT EACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS MORE THAN 15 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO CLOSE A BEACH ΤΟ SWIMMERS IS BASED ON A JUDGEMENT OF WHAT DEGREE OF POLLUTION IS ACCEPTABLE. NORMALLY, THE CLOSURE OF A BEACH WOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED BY THE URBAN COUNCIL OR REGIONAL COUNCIL IF A * 4 GRADING OCCURRED REPEATEDLY, SO THAT THE AVERAGE HEALTH RISK OVER THE BATHING SEASON EXCEEDED 15 CASES PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
** **
SIMILARLY, THE REOPENING A CLOSED BEACH WOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED IF A "3" GRADE OR BETTER WERE CONSISTENTLY OBTAINED.
AT PRESENT, THREE BATHING BEACHES HAVE BEEN DECLARED UNSUITABLE FOR SWIMMING PURPOSES, BASED ON THE WATER QUALITY DURING PAST SEASONS. THESE BEACHES ARE CASTLE PEAK, OLD CAFETERIA AND ROCKY BAY.
THEY ARE POLLUTED BY FARCAL WASTES AND FAIL ΤΟ ACHIEVE CONSISTENTLY THE HONG KONG STANDARDS. THE PUBLIC ARE ADVISED NOT ΤΟ SWIM IN THE WATER AT THESE THREE BEACHES. THEY ARE IDENTIFIED BY AN "X" IN THE FOLLOWING TABLE.
THE GRADES ON THE BACTERIAL WATER QUALITY OF VARIOUS BEACHES IN HONG KONG AS AT TODAY ARE LISTED BELOW:
/BEACH