XN000022-1989-10-12 — Page 22

THURSDAY, O OBER 12, 1989

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GRADING OF BEACH WATER QUALITY

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) TODAY

QUALITY THE BACTERIAL

GRADES ANNOUNCED

ON REACHES IN HONG KONG.

WATER

{THURSDAY)

OF ALL BATHING

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,

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

ANNOUNCED

FREQUENCY

BIWEEKLY DURING

AT WHICH BEACH WATERS

THE

BATHING

ARE

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

OBTAINED

INCLUDES 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.

ALSO GRADING

AN

LARGE VERY

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

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

BATHING REPRESENTS A NATURAL FLUCTUATION IN THE BACTERIAL QUALITY OF

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

PICTURE GENERAL

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

AND OF REPORTING

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

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

15 HEALTH RISK

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

MEAN

EACH

THAN

ACCEPTABLE. THE 100 MILLILITRES AT

"B" GRADE INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS 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 100 MILLILITRES PER

BACH 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.

BEACH

TO SWIMMERS

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

/NORMALLY, A