XN000022-1994-09-29 — Page 15

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1994

14

GRADING OF BEACH WATER QUALITY

* * * * *

THE

ENVIRONMENTAL

PROTECTION

DEPARTMENT

TODAY

{THURSDAY) BATHING

ANNOUNCED GRADES OF THE BACTERIOLOGICAL WATER QUALITY OF ALL BEACHES IN HONG KONG.

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 SAID

THE GRADING WOULD BE ΤΟ COINCIDE WITH THE ANNOUNCED BI-WEEKLY DURING THE BATHING SEASON FREQUENCY AT WHICH BEACH WATERS WERE USUALLY SAMPLED.

THE GRADING IS BASED ON THE MOST RECENT E COLI DATA OBTAINED BY THE DEPARTMENT IN ITS ROUTINE MONITORING PROGRAMME.

AS WITH LAST YEAR, THE GRADING ALSO INCLUDES AN ESTIMATE OF THE A RISK OF SUFFERING SOME MINOR SKIN OR GASTROINTESTINAL COMPLAINTS AS RESULT OF SWIMMING AT A BEACH WHICH HAS SOME DEGREE OF POLLUTION.

THE

STATISTICAL

ESTIMATE IS

OF BASED ON A VERY LARGE BODY INFORMATION GATHERED IN HONG KONG IN RECENT BATHING SEASONS.

THE SUMMER. THIS BACTERIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF BRING MORE OR LESS

THE GRADING OF SOME BEACHES MAY VARY DURING

THE REPRESENTS A NATURAL FLUCTUATION IN BATHING WATERS IN MOST CASES, AS RAIN AND TIDES POLLUTION TO THE BEACHES.

THE THE GRADES GIVE A GOOD GENERAL PICTURE OF HOWEVER, QUALITY AT BATHING BEACHES AT THE TIME OF REPORTING AND FORM THE AVAILABLE FORECAST FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.

BEACHES WITH

HIGHLY DEVELOPED

WATER

BEST

HINTERLANDS ARE LIKELY TO BE MORE POLLUTED THAN THE GRADES SUGGEST DURING AND AFTER HEAVY RAIN.

AFTER

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

**

THE SYSTEM FOR GRADING BEACH WATER QUALITY IS AS FOLLOWS:

#

GRADE "1" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS

AT COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 24 PER 100 MILLILITRES COLI

THE EXPECTED BEACH SO GRADED, AND

HEALTH RISK OF MINOR ILLNESS TO SWIMMERS IS UNDETECTABLE.

GOOD.

THE

E

BACH

THE В GRADE

FAIR. '2" INDICATES THAT THE WATER QUALITY IS

BACH COLI COUNT IS NO MORE THAN 180 PER 100 MILLILITRES AT

MORE THAN 10 BEACH SO GRADED, AND THE EXPECTED RISK IS NO CASES OF MINOR ILLNESS PER 1,000 SWIMMERS.

*

THE Б

EACH

NO

MORE

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

/* GRADE "4"