XN000022-1988-09-22 — Page 21

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1988

NEVERTHELESS, THE GRADES GIVE A GOOD

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

THE SYSTEM FOR GRADING BEACH WATER QUALITY IS AS FOLLOWS:

J A' GRADE INDICATES THE MEDIAN E. COLI COUNT IS BETWEEN

0-99 PER 100 MILLILITRES, AND THE WATER QUALITY 19 GOOD.

E.

'B' GRADE INDICATES THE MEDIAN

100-999 PER 100 MILLILITRES, AND ACCEPTABLE.

COLI COUNT IS BETWEEN THE WATER QUALITY 19

'C' GRADE INDICATES THE MEDIAN E. COLI COUNT IS 1,000 PER 100 MILLILITRES, AND THE WATER QUALITY IS POOR.

OR MORE

THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO CLOSE A BEACH ΤΟ SWIMMERS IS BASED ON A JUDGEMENT OF WHAT DEGREE OF POLLUTION IS ACCEPTABLE,

NORMALLY, A RECOMMENDATION ON CLOSURE WOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED BY THE URBAN OR THE REGIONAL COUNCIL IF A

GRADING OCCURRED REPEATEDLY. SIMILARLY, A RECOMMENDATION TO REOPEN A CLOSED BEACH WOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED IF A 'B' GRADE OR BETTER WERE CONSISTENTLY OBTAINED.

AT PRESENT, FIVE BATHING BEACHES HAVE BEEN DECLARED UNSUITABLE FOR SWIMMING PURPOSES, BASED ON THE WATER QUALITY DURING PAST SEASONS.

THESE BEACHES ARE ANGLERS', CASTLE PEAK, SILVERMINE BAY, OLD CAFETERIA AND ROCKY BAY. THEY ARE POLLUTED BY FARCAL WASTES AND FAILED TO ACHIEVE CONSISTENTLY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION AND HONG KONG STANDARDS. THE PUBLIC ARE ADVISED NOT TO SWIM IN THESE FIVE BEACHES, THEY ARE IDENTIFIED BY AN 'X' IN THE FOLLOWING TABLE.

VARIOUS BEACHES

THE GRADES ON THE BACTERIAL WATER QUALITY OF IN HONG KONG AS AT TODAY AND TWO WEEKS AGO ARE LISTED BELOW:

BEACH

LAST GRADING

PRESENT GRADING

HONG KONG SOUTH

(AS AT 8.9.88)

(AS AT 22.9.88)

BIG WAVE BAY

A

CHUNG HOM KOK

A

A

DEEP WATER BAY

B

B

HAIRPIN

A

A

MIDDLE BAY

C

C

/REPULSE BAY