Hong Kong grades 28 beaches as excellent, 12 as fair in water quality update
Hong Kong's Environmental Protection Department released its latest beach water quality ratings, with 28 beaches graded as excellent (Grade 1) and 12 as fair (Grade 2). Four beaches improved from Grade 2 to Grade 1. The department advises avoiding swimming for three days after heavy rain.
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has published its latest beach water quality ratings. According to the announcement on 23 October 2026, 28 beaches have been classified as excellent (Grade 1), while 12 are rated as fair (Grade 2).
Compared with last week's ratings, four beaches saw an upgrade from Grade 2 to Grade 1: Big Wave Bay Beach, Castle Peak Beach, Silver Mine Bay Beach and Turtle Cove Beach.
The EPD grades beach water quality based on the level of Escherichia coli in seawater, using a four-tier system: excellent (Grade 1), fair (Grade 2), poor (Grade 3) and very poor (Grade 4). The rating for each beach is calculated using the geometric mean of the last five water samples.
An EPD spokesperson reminded the public that while the grade reflects water quality under normal conditions, beach water quality may be temporarily affected during and after heavy rain. Swimmers are advised to avoid going to the beach within three days after a storm or heavy rainfall.
The EPD will publish a summary of beach grades before each weekend. The public can check the latest beach ratings at the EPD website (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach_chi) or call the EPD beach water quality hotline at 2511 6666. Daily water quality forecasts for all open public beaches are also available on the EPD's Beach Water Quality Forecast webpage (www.epd.gov.hk/BWQForecast).
