What is Beach Water Quality Forecast Index and how is it complementary to EPD beach grading?

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has set up a beach grading system to reflect the recent bacteriological water quality. A beach will be graded "Good", "Fair", "Poor" or "Very Poor" according to the geometric mean E. coli of the five most recent water samples. However, beach water quality changes rapidly, and the current state of water quality may deviate from even the latest grading. In regard to this, the beach water quality forecast model gives the Beach Water Quality Forecast Index to estimate the current and future water quality. Click here if you want to know more details.

Beach Water Quality Forecast Index	Predicted E. coli concentration (counts / 100 mL)	Health risk *
	≤ 24	Negligible
	25 - 180	Low
	181 - 610	Moderate
	> 610	High

* Health risk: Risk in getting swimming associated gastro-intestinal and skin illnesses.