XN000022-1989-08-31 — Page 14

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 1989

THE GRADING 18 BASED ON THE MOST RECENT BACTERIA DATA BY THE EPD IN ITS ROUTINE MONITORING PROGRAMME.

OBTAINED

INCLUDES AN GASTROINTESTINAL

THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE GRADING ALSO ESTIMATE OF THE RISK OF SUFFERING SOME MINOR SKIN OR COMPLAINTS AS A RESULT OF SWIMMING AT A BEACH WHICH HAS SOME DEGREE OF POLLUTION.

STATISTICAL

A VERY LARGE BODY OF THE ESTIMATE IS BASED ON INFORMATION GATHERED IN HONG KONG DURING RECENT BATHING SEASONS.

THE SUMMER. THIS THE GRADING OF SOME BEACHES MAY VARY DURING

OF BATHING REPRESENTS A NATURAL FLUCTUATION IN THE BACTERIAL QUALITY

LESS POLLUTION WATERS IN MOST CASES, AS RAIN AND TIDES BRING MORE OR TO THE BEACHES.

AND

DURING OF THE

FORM

BATHING WATERS COMMONLY BECOME WORSE DUE TO HEAVY USAGE

GENERAL PICTURE THE SUMMER. HOWEVER, THE GRADES GIVE A GOOD

OF REPORTING WATER QUALITY AT BATHING BEACHES AT THE TIME THE BEST AVAILABLE FORECAST FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.

THE SYSTEM FOR GRADING BEACH WATER QUALITY IS AS FOLLOWS:

"A" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS

100 MILLILITRES E. COLI COUNT IS LESS THAN 100 PER

HEALTH RISK IS BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED SEVEN CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.

THE

MEAN

AT

EACH

LESS

THAN

THE

AT

"B" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS ACCEPTABLE.

MILLILITRES 100 MEAN E. COLI COUNT IS LESS THAN 1,000 PER EACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS LESS THAN 18 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.

POOR. THE MEAN "C" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS

AT EACH PER 100 MILLILITRES E. COLI COUNT IS 1,000 OR MORE

MORE BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.

BEACH

IS 18 OR

ΤΟ SWIMMERS

IS

THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO CLOSE A BASED ON A JUDGEMENT OF WHAT DEGREE OF POLLUTION IS ACCEPTABLE.

NORMALLY, A RECOMMENDATION ON CLOSURE WOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED BY THE URBAN OR REGIONAL COUNCIL IF A "C" GRADING OCCURRED REPEATEDLY,

SEASON EXCEEDED SO THAT THE AVERAGE HEALTH RISK OVER THE BATHING CASES PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.

15

SIMILARLY, A RECOMMENDATION TO RE-OPEN

GRADE ONLY BE CONSIDERED OBTAINED.

IF A "B"

OR

A CLOSED BETTER

BEACH WOULD

WERE

CONSISTENTLY

AT PRESENT, SIX BATHING BEACHES HAVE BEEN

DECLARED UNSUITABLE

FOR SWIMMING PURPOSE, BASED ON THE WATER QUALITY DURING PAST SEASONS.

/THESE BEACHES