Marine refuse Like many other beaches in Hong Kong, Golden Beach suffers from a worsening problem with
marine refuse. On occasion, vast amounts of garbage suddenly wash up on the beach. The rubbish often bears Simplified Chinese characters, leading citizens to suspect that it originates from Mainland Chinese ships. On 1 August 2017, more than 18 lorry-loads worth of rubbish washed up on the beach in one 24-hour period.
Sand loss The beach suffers from serious loss of sand, and has shrunk significantly over the past two decades. After
Typhoon Hagupit hit Hong Kong in September 2008, the LCSD hired the CEDD to conduct remedial works at Golden Beach, at a cost of HK$7.2 million. This included replenishment of sand, construction of
gabion walls, and construction of
groynes. These improvements were made from 2009 to 2011. Still, Golden Beach is smaller than its original size and length.
Water quality The
Environmental Protection Department conducts water quality testing at Golden Beach at least three times per month, year-round. The department uses a four-point grading system to reflect water quality, where Grade 1 (Good) reflects the best quality. During the 1990s, the water quality at Golden Beach consistently ranked as Grade 3 (Poor). Various sewerage infrastructure improvements have helped boost the quality to an average of Grade 2 (Fair) since the turn of the millennium. During the 2016 swimming season, the water quality ranked Grade 2 (Fair) for about 85 per cent of tests, and Grade 1 (Good) about 15 per cent of the time. ==See also==