THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1994
GRADING OF BEACH WATER QUALITY
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THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT TODAY (THURSDAY) BATHING GRADES OF THE BACTERIOLOGICAL WATER QUALITY OF ALL BEACHES IN HONG KONG.
ANNOUNCED
THE PURPOSE OF THE GRADING SYSTEM IS TO INFORM SWIMMERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT THE STATE OF BACTERIOLOGICAL POLLUTION AT VARIOUS BEACHES.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID THE GRADING WOULD BE TO COINCIDE WITH THE ANNOUNCED BI-WEEKLY DURING THE BATHING SEASON FREQUENCY AT WHICH BEACH WATERS WERE USUALLY SAMPLED.
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 RISK OF SUFFERING SOME MINOR SKIN OR GASTROINTESTINAL COMPLAINTS AS A RESULT OF SWIMMING AT A BEACH WHICH HAS SOME DEGREE OF POLLUTION.
THE ESTIMATE IS BASED ON A VERY LARGE BODY
OF INFORMATION GATHERED IN HONG KONG IN RECENT BATHING SEASONS.
STATISTICAL
SUMMER. THIS THE GRADING OF SOME BEACHES MAY VARY DURING THE
THE REPRESENTS A NATURAL FLUCTUATION IN
BACTERIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF
BRING BATHING WATERS IN MOST CASES, AS RAIN AND TIDES
MORE OR LESS POLLUTION TO THE BEACHES.
HOWEVER, THE GRADES GIVE A GOOD GENERAL PICTURE OF THE WATER QUALITY AT BATHING BEACHES AT THE TIME OF REPORTING AND FORM THE BEST AVAILABLE FORECAST FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.
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 SHORTER 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 R COLI COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 24 PER 100 MILLILITRES AT EACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED RISK OF MINOR ILLNESS ΤΟ SWIMMERS IS UNDETECTABLE.
GRADE "2" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS FAIR. THE E 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.
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GRADE "3" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS POOR. THE E COLI COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 610 PER 100 MILLILITRES AT BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS NO THAN 15 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.
EACH
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/* GRADE "4"