XN000022-1989-09-28 — Page 20

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1989

GRADING OF BEACH WATER QUALITY

{THURSDAY I

OF ALL BATHING

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) TODAY ANNOUNCED GRADES ON THE

WATER QUALITY

BEACHES IN HONG KONG,

BACTERIAL

IS TO AN EPD SPOKESMAN SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE GRADING SYSTEM

STATE OF BACTERIAL INFORM SWIMMERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT THE POLLUTION AT VARIOUS BEACHES.

BE

THE GRADING WILL SEASON, TO COINCIDE WITH THE USUALLY SAMPLED.

ANNOUNCED

FREQUENCY

BIWEEKLY

AT WHICH

THE DURING

BEACH

WATERS

BATHING ARE

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

OBTAINED

GRADING ALSO INCLUDES AN THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE

GASTROINTESTINAL 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

VERY A

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.

DURING BATHING WATERS COMMONLY BECOME WORSE DUE TO HEAVY USAGE

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

OF REPORTING AND FORM 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:

GOOD. THE "A" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS

PER 100 MILLILITRES AT E. COLI COUNT IS LESS THAN 100

HEALTH RISK 15 LESS BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED SEVEN CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1.000 SWIMMERS.

MEAN

EACH

THAN

ACCEPTABLE. THE "B" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY 15

100 MILLILITRES AT 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

PER 100 MILLILITRES AT

EACH E. COLI COUNT IS 1,000 OR MORE

IS 18 OR MORE BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.

/THE DECISION

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