XN000022-1987-07-30 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1987

GRADING OF BEACH WATER QUALITY

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) TODAY (THURSDAY) ANNOUNCED GRADES ON THE BACTERIAL WATER QUALITY OF ALL BATHING BEACHES IN HONG KONG.

PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OFFICER (WATER POLICY) OF THE DEPARTMENT, MR PAUL HOLMES, SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE GRADING SYSTEM IS TO INFORM THE INTENDING SWIMMERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC REGULARLY ABOUT THE STATE OF BACTERIAL POLLUTION AT VARIOUS BEACHES.

STARTING FROM THIS WEEK, THE GRADING WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT

SEASON BIWEEKLY INTERVALS DURING THE BATHING

ΤΟ COINCIDE WITH THE FREQUENCY AT WHICH BEACH WATERS ARE USUALLY SAMPLED.

THE GRADING IS BASED ON THE E. COLI DATA OBTAINED BY EPD IN ITS ROUTINE BEACH WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAMME.

THE E. COLI DATA USED FOR GRADING ARE THE AVERAGE (OR MORE EXACTLY, MEDIAN) VALUES OF THE MOST RECENT FIVE RESULTS, OBTAINED OVER A TWO-AND-A-HALF MONTH PERIOD ACCORDING TO THE USUAL SAMPLING THEY FREQUENCY. ALTHOUGH THE GRADES FOR SOME BEACHES MAY FLUCTUATE,

THE BEACHES GIVE A GENERAL PICTURE OF THE BACTERIAL WATER QUALITY OF AND FORM THE BEST AVAILABLE FORECAST OF THE BEACH WATER QUALITY IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.

THE SYSTEM FOR GRADING BEACH WATER QUALITY IS AS BELOW:

A GRADE INDICATES THE MEDIAN E. COLI COUNT IS BETWEEN ZERO 99 PER 100 MILLILITRES AND THE WATER QUALITY IS GOOD.

AND

B GRADE INDICATES THE MEDIAN E. COLI COUNT IS BETWEEN 100-999 PER 100 MILLILITRES AND THE WATER QUALITY IS ACCEPTABLE.

C GRADE INDICATES THE MEDIAN E. COLI COUNT PER 100 MILLILITRES AND THE WATER QUALITY IS POOR.

1S 1,000 OR

MORE

THE GRADES ON THE BACTERIAL WATER QUALITY IN HONG KONG AS AT TODAY:

OF

VARIOUS BEACHES

BEACH

GRADE

HONG KONG SOUTH

BIG WAVE BAY

CHUNG HOM KOK

A

B

/DEEP WATER