XN000022-1990-08-09 — Page 5

THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 1990

GRADING .OF BEACH WATER QUALITY

THE

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) TODAY

OF WATER ANNOUNCED GRADES ON

BACTERIAL BEACHES IN HONG KONG.

QUALITY

ALL

(THURSDAY)

BATHING

ΤΟ INFORM

SWIMMERS AND AT VARIOUS BIWEEKLY DURING THE BATHING THE FREQUENCY AT WHICH BEACH WATERS ARE

THE PURPOSE OF THE GRADING SYSTEM IS THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT THE STATE OF BACTERIAL POLLUTION BEACHES. THE GRADING WILL BE ANNOUNCED SEASON TO COINCIDE WITH USUALLY SAMPLED.

COLI DATA OBTAINED THE GRADING IS BASED ON THE MOST RECENT E.

AS WITH LAST YEAR, BY THE EPD IN ITS ROUTINE MONITORING PROGRAMME.

SOME ESTIMATE OF THE RISK OF SUFFERING THE GRADING ALSO INCLUDES AN

AT MINOR SKIN OR GASTROINTESTINAL COMPLAINTS AS A RESULT OF SWIMMING

BASED ON A BEACH WHICH HAS SOME DEGREE OF POLLUTION. THE ESTIMATE IS

IN A VERY LARGE BODY OF STATISTICAL INFORMATION GATHERED IN HONG KONG 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

GOOD GENERAL PICTURE OF TO THE BEACHES. HOWEVER, THE GRADES GIVE A

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

THE SYSTEM FOR GRADING BEACH WATER QUALITY IS AS FOLLOWS:

GRADE 11 INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS GOOD. THE E. COLI BEACH SO COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 24 PER 100 MILLILITRES AT EACH

SWIMMERS IS GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED RISK OF MINOR ILLNESS TO UNDETECTABLE.

GRADE "2" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS FAIR. THE E. COLI COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 180 PER 100 MILLILITRES AT EACH BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS NO MORE THAN OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.

10 CASES

GRADE "3" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS E. COLI COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 610 PER 100 MILLILITRES REACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS NO 15 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.

ACCEPTABLE.

THE AT EACH MORE THAN

GRADE "4" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS POOR. THE E. COLI AT EACH BEACH SO COUNT IS MORE THAN 610 PER 100 MILLILITRES

CASES OF GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS MORE THAN 15 MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.

/THE DECISION