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17
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1992
"BEACHES WITH HIGHLY DEVELOPED HINTERLANDS ARE LIKELY TO BE MORE POLLUTED THAN THE GRADES SUGGEST DURING AND AFTER HEAVY RAIN.
"BATHERS SHOULD AVOID SUCH BEACHES FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS AFTER A STORM, LONGER IF THE WEATHER REMAINS OVERCAST OR LESS IF THERE IS STRONG SUNSHINE, 21 THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
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 MILLILITERS AT EACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED RISK OF MINOR ILLNESS TO SWIMMERS IS UNDETECTABLE.
*
GRADE "2" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS FAIR. THE E. COLI COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 180 PER 100 MILLILITERS AT EACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS NO MORE 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 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 VERY POOR. THE E. COLI COUNT IS MORE THAN 610 PER 100 MILLILITERS 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 TO SWIMMERS IS BASED ON A JUDGEMENT OF WHAT DEGREE OF POLLUTION IS ACCEPTABLE.
BY
GRADE OCCURRED BATHING SEASON
NORMALLY, THE CLOSURE OF A BEACH WOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED THE URBAN COUNCIL OR REGIONAL COUNCIL IF A "4" REPEATEDLY, SO THAT THE AVERAGE HEALTH RISK OVER THE EXCEEDED 15 CASES PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
WOULD ONLY BE
SIMILARLY THE REOPENING OF A CLOSED BEACH CONSIDERED IF A "3" GRADE OR BETTER WERE CONSISTENTLY OBTAINED.
AT PRESENT, TWO BATHING BEACHES, NAMELY CASTLE PEAK AND OLD CAFETERIA, HAVE BEEN DECLARED UNSUITABLE FOR SWIMMING PURPOSES, BASED ON THE WATER QUALITY DURING PAST SEASONS.
THEY ARE POLLUTED BY FAECAL WASTES AND FAIL TO ACHIEVE CONSISTENTLY THE HONG KONG STANDARDS. THE PUBLIC ARE ADVISED NOT TO SWIM IN THE WATER 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