XN000022-1991-05-23 — Page 18

17

THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1991

OF THE WATER HOWEVER, THE GRADES GIVE A GOOD GENERAL PICTURE

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

"BEACHES WITH HIGHLY DEVELOPED HINTERLANDS ARE LIKELY TO BE MORE POLLUTED THAN THE GRADES SUGGEST DURING AND AFTER HEAVY RAIN,"

AN EPD SPOKESMAN SAID.

BATHERS SHOULD AVOID SUCH BEACHES FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS AFTER IF THERE IS A STORM, LONGER IF THE WEATHER REMAINS OVERCAST OR LESS STRONG SUNSHINE.

THE SYSTEM FOR GRADING BEACH WATER QUALITY IS AS FOLLOWS:

GRADE "1" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS GOOD. THE E. COLI COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 24 PER 100 MILLILITRES AT EACH GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED RISK OF MINOR ILLNESS TO UNDETECTABLE.

QUALITY

BEACH 90 SWIMMERS

18

E.

ᎪᎢ

EACH

NO

MORE

GRADE "2" INDICATES THAT THE WATER

IS FAIR. THE COLI COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 180 PER 100 MILLILITRES

THE BEACH SO GRADED, AND

EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS THAN 10 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.

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

ACCEPTABLE.

THE

AT RACH MORE THAN

EACH

BEACH

15 CASES

GRADE "4" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS POOR. THE E. COLI COUNT IS MORE THAN 610 PER 100 MILLILITRES AT SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS MORE THAN OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS,

BEACH THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO CLOSE A

ΤΟ SWIMMERS BASED ON A JUDGEMENT OF WHAT DEGREE OF POLLUTION IS ACCEPTABLE.

IS

SEASON

BR CONSIDERED

30 REPEATEDLY,

EXCEEDED 15

BY

NORMALLY, THE CLOSURE OF A BEACH WOULD ONLY THE URBAN OR REGIONAL COUNCIL IF A "4" GRADE OCCURRED THAT THE AVERAGE HEALTH RISK CASES PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.

OVER THE

SIMILARLY, THE REOPENING

OF

BATHING

A CLOSED BEACH WOULD ONLY BR CONSIDERED IF A "3" GRADE OR BETTER WERE CONSISTENTLY OBTAINED.

BASED

CASTLE PEAK AND OLD AT PRESENT, TWO BATHING BEACHES, NAMELY CAFETERIA, HAVE BEEN DECLARED UNSUITABLE FOR SWIMMING PURPOSES, ON THE WATER QUALITY DURING PAST SEASONS.

ARR THEY

TO

POLLUTED BY FABCAL WASTES AND FAIL TO ACHIEVE

NOT ARE ADVISED CONSISTENTLY THE HONG KONG STANDARDS. THE PUBLIC SWIM IN THE WATER AT THESE TWO BEACHES.

IN ADDITION, ROCKY BAY PURPOSES BY THE URBAN COUNCIL. AN "X" IN THE FOLLOWING LIST.

BEACH HAS BEEN CLOSED THESE THREE BEACHES ARE

FOR SWIMMING IDENTIFIED

BY

/THE GRADES