XN000022-1996-07-18 — Page 9

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 10 cases of minor illness per 1,000 swimmers.

Grade "3" indicates that the water quality is poor. The E. coli count is no more than 610 per 100 millilitres at each beach so graded, and the expected health risk is no more than 15 cases of minor illness per 1,000 swimmers.

Grade "4" indicates that the water quality is very poor. The E. coli count is more than 610 per 100 millilitres at each beach so graded, and the expected health risk is more than 15 cases of minor illness per 1,000 swimmers.

The decision whether or not to close a beach to swimmers is based on a judgement of what degree of pollution is acceptable.

Normally, the closure of a beach would only be considered by the Urban or Regional Council if a grade "4" occurred repeatedly, so that the average health risk over the bathing season exceeded 15 cases per 1,000 swimmers.

At present five gazetted beaches, namely Anglers', Approach, Castle Peak, Rocky Bay and Ting Kau, are closed to swimmers, while Old Cafeteria is re-opened. The decision to open or close the beaches has been made by the Regional and Urban Councils on the basis of beach water quality monitoring data for 1995. The public are advised not to swim at the closed beaches. They are identified by an "X" in the following list.

The grades of the bacteriological water quality of various beaches in Hong Kong today are listed below:

Beach

Previous Grading

Present Grading

(as at 4.7.96)

(as at 18.7.96)

Hong Kong South

Big Wave Bay (S)

3

3

Chung Hom Kok (S)

1

1

Deep Water Bay (S)

1

I

Hairpin (S)

2

2

Middle Bay (S)

2

3

Repulse Bay (S)

I

1

Shek O (S)

2

2

South Bay (S)

1

1

St Stephen's (S)

2

2

Turtle Cove (S)

2

2

Stanley Main (S)

2

2

Rocky Bay

X

X