XN000022-1992-09-17 — Page 8

7

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1992

GRADING OF BEACH WATER QUALITY

* * * *

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) TODAY

ANNOUNCED THE GRADES ON THE BATHING BEACHES IN HONG KONG.

BACTERIOLOGICAL

(THURSDAY)

WATER QUALITY OF ALL

THE PURPOSE OF THE GRADING SYSTEM IS TO INFORM SWIMMERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT THE STATE OF BACTERIOLOGICAL POLLUTION AT VARIOUS BEACHES.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED AT BIWEEKLY INTERVALS DURING THE BATHING

SAID THE GRADES WOULD BE WITH THE FREQUENCY AT WHICH BEACH WATER WAS USUALLY SAMPLED.

SEASON TO COINCIDE

TI

"THE GRADING IS BASED ON THE MOST RECENT E. COLI BY THE EPD UNDER ITS

DATA 08TAINED ROUTINE MONITORING EXPLAINED.

PROGRAMME, THE SPOKESMAN

AN ESTIMATE OF COMPLAINTS

"AS WITH LAST YEAR, THE GRADING ALSO INCLUDES THE RISK OF SUFFERING SOME MINOR SKIN OR GASTROINTESTINAL AS A RESULT OF SWIMMING AT A BEACH THAT HAS SOME DEGREE OF POLLUTION, HE ADDED.

**

"THE ESTIMATE IS BASED ON A VERY LARGE INFORMATION GATHERED IN HONG KONG IN RECENT BATHING SEASONS,'

BODY OF STATISTICAL

1+ HE SAID.

THE SUMMER. THIS QUALITY OF MORE OR LESS

THE GRADING OF SOME BEACHES MAY VARY DURING REPRESENTS A NATURAL FLUCTUATION IN THE BACTERIOLOGICAL BATHING WATERS IN MOST CASES, AS RAIN AND TIDES BRING POLLUTION TO THE BEACHES.

THE WATER BEST

HOWEVER, THE GRADES GIVE A GOOD GENERAL PICTURE OF 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 MORE POLLUTED THAN THE GRADES SUGGEST DURING AND AFTER THE SPOKESMAN NOTED.

HEAVY

TO BE RAIN,

"

"I

AFTER

THERE

IS

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

"

HE SAID.

IF

THE SYSTEM FOR GRADING BEACH WATER QUALITY IS AS FOLLOWS:

GRADE 1 INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS GOOD. COLI

THE

E.

BEACH

COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 24 PER 100 MILLILITERS

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

AT

EACH

ΤΟ

GRADE 2 INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS COLI COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 180 PER 100 MILLILITERS AT BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED HEALTH RISK IS THAN 10 CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.

NO

FAIR. THE E.

EACH

MORE

GRADE 3