14
THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 1992
THE
THE GRADES GIVE A GOOD GENERAL PICTURE OF HOWEVER, QUALITY AT BATHING BEACHES AT THE TIME OF REPORTING AND FORM THE AVAILABLE FORECAST FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.
MORE
WATER
BEST
BE "BEACHES WITH
TO HIGHLY DEVELOPED HINTERLANDS ARE LIKELY
HEAVY RAIN. THAN THE GRADES SUGGEST DURING AND AFTER POLLUTED BATHERS SHOULD AVOID SUCH BEACHES FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS AFTER A STORM,
THERE IS THE WEATHER REMAINS OVERCAST OR LESS IF LONGER IF SUNSHINE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE SYSTEM FOR GRADING BEACH WATER QUALITY IS AS FOLLOWS
STRONG
*
GRADE "1" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS GOOD. COLI
THE
E.
EACH
TO
AT COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 24 PER 100 MILLILITERS BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED RISK OF MINOR ILLNESS SWIMMERS IS UNDETECTABLE.
THE E.
BACH
NO
MORE
GRADE "2" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS FAIR. COLI COUNT IS NO MORE THAT 180 PER 100 MILLILITERS AT BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS THAN 10 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
THE
E.
EACH
GRADE "3" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS POOR. COLI COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 610 PER 100 MILLILITERS AT BEACH
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 VERY POOR. THE E. COLI COUNT IS MORE THAN 610 PER 100 MILLILITERS AT EACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS THAN 15 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
MORE
SWIMMERS 13
THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO CLOSE A BEACH TO BASED ON A JUDGEMENT OF WHAT DEGREE OF POLLUTION IS ACCEPTABLE.
NORMALLY,
CONSIDERED THE CLOSURE OF A BEACH WOULD ONLY BE THE URBAN COUNCIL OR REGIONAL COUNCIL IF A
"4" GRADE
OCCURRED BATHING SEASON REPEATEDLY, SO THAT THE AVERAGE HEALTH RISK OVER THE EXCEEDED 15 CASES PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
BY
WOULD
ONLY
BE
SIMILARLY, THE REOPENING OF A CLOSED BEACH CONSIDERED IF A GRADE "3" OR BETTER WERE CONSISTENTLY OBTAINED.
OLD
BASED
PRESENT, AT
AND TWO BATHING BEACHES, NAMELY CASTLE PEAK CAFETERIA, HAVE BEEN DECLARED UNSUITABLE FOR SWIMMING PURPOSES, ON THE WATER QUALITY DURING PAST SEASONS.
ΤΟ
THEY ARE POLLUTED BY FAECAL WASTES AND FAIL TO ACHIEVE CONSISTENTLY THE HONG KONG STANDARDS. THE PUBLIC ARE ADVISED NOT SWIM AT THESE TWO BEACHES.
IN ADDITION, ROCKY BAY BEACH HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR SWIMMING PURPOSES BY THE URBAN COUNCIL. THESE THREE BEACHES ARE IDENTIFIED AN "X" IN THE FOLLOWING LIST.
BY
/THE GRADES