21.
FRIDAY, JULY 8, 1994
THE DEPARTMENT
SAID
THE GRADING TO COINCIDE
A SPOKESMAN FOR ANNOUNCED BI-WEEKLY DURING THE BATHING SEASON FREQUENCY AT WHICH BEACH WATERS WERE USUALLY SAMPLED.
WOULD BE WITH THE
THE GRADING IS BASED ON THE MOST RECENT E COLI DATA OBTAINED BY THE DEPARTMENT IN ITS ROUTINE MONITORING PROGRAMME.
AS WITH LAST YEAR, THE GRADING ALSO INCLUDES AN ESTIMATE OF THE A RISK OF SUFFERING SOME MINOR SKIN OR GASTROINTESTINAL COMPLAINTS AS RESULT OF SWIMMING AT A BEACH WHICH HAS SOME DEGREE OF POLLUTION.
THE ESTIMATE IS BASED ON A VERY LARGE BODY OF STATISTICAL INFORMATION GATHERED IN HONG KONG IN RECENT BATHING SEASONS.
THE
SUMMER. THIS BACTERIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF BRING MORE OR LESS
THE GRADING OF SOME BEACHES MAY VARY DURING
THE REPRESENTS A NATURAL FLUCTUATION IN BATHING WATERS IN MOST CASES, AS RAIN AND TIDES POLLUTION TO THE BEACHES.
HOWEVER,
THE THE GRADES GIVE A GOOD GENERAL PICTURE OF QUALITY AT BATHING BEACHES AT THE TIME OF REPORTING AND FORM THE AVAILABLE FORECAST FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.
WITH BEACHES
WATER BEST
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, 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 MILLILITRES AT EACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED RISK OF MINOR ILLNESS TO SWIMMERS IS UNDETECTABLE.
GRADE "2" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS COLI COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 180 PER 100 MILLILITRES AT EACH
NO BEACH
MORE GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS So THAN 10 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
FAIR.
THE E
'3" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS GRADE
POOR. THE E
COLI
EACH COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 610 PER 100 MILLILITRES AT BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS NO MORE THAN 15 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
IT
GRADE
'4" INDICATES THAT THE WATER
QUALITY IS VERY POOR.
THE
MILLILITRES COLI COUNT IS MORE THAN 610 PER 100 EACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS THAN 15 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
AT MORE
THE DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT TO CLOSE A BEACH TO SWIMMERS BASED ON A JUDGMENT OF WHAT DEGREE OF POLLUTION IS ACCEPTABLE.
וי
IS
BY
SO
NORMALLY, THE CLOSURE OF A BEACH WOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED THE URBAN OR REGIONAL COUNCILS IF A GRADE 4" OCCURRED REPEATEDLY, THAT THE AVERAGE HEALTH RISK OVER THE BATHING SEASON EXCEEDED 15 CASES PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
/AT PRESENT