Privacy policy

Last updated: [to be completed: approval date]

Scope

This policy explains how the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility handles personal data when you use its website. It applies to this website only, and does not cover CMWU's internal systems or external websites we may link to.

Data we collect

When you submit the "Contact us" form we collect: your name, email address, phone number (optional), subject and message. We also automatically record the IP address and browser user agent with each message, to limit automated spam.

When you subscribe to the newsletter we collect your email address and the language you subscribed in, and automatically record the IP address, browser user agent and subscription date — to evidence the source of the subscription in the event of any complaint of unsolicited mail.

When you simply browse the site we collect no personal data, use no analytics or tracking tools, and set no identifying cookies.

Why we collect it

• To respond to your enquiries and handle complaints and service requests.
• To send the newsletter to those who subscribed to it, and for that purpose alone.
• To contact you about your submission where clarification is needed.
• To protect the site from repeated automated submissions.

Your data is not used for marketing and is not analysed for advertising purposes. Your address is added to the newsletter only if you subscribe yourself — addresses submitted through the contact form are never transferred to it.

Sharing with others

We do not sell, rent or share your data with commercial parties. Your message may be routed internally to the relevant CMWU department for handling. We do not disclose data to any external party except under a binding legal request from a competent authority.

Retention

Contact messages are retained for as long as needed to handle them and document the action taken, in line with CMWU's records retention policy [to be completed: approved retention period].

Third-party content

Videos in the video library are served through YouTube in privacy-enhanced mode. The YouTube player is not loaded and no cookies are set until you press play yourself. Once you choose to play, the provider's privacy policy applies.

The site may link to third-party websites (donors or partners); we are not responsible for their privacy practices.

Data security

We apply reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect data against unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure. No transmission over the internet can be guaranteed to be fully secure, so please do not send sensitive information through the contact form.

Your rights

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your data. To make a request, contact us using the details on the Contact us page.

You may unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time using the link at the foot of every message, without needing to contact us. The subscription record is retained after unsubscribing as evidence that your request was carried out, and is erased permanently if you ask for that.

Changes to this policy

This policy may be updated whenever the nature of the services offered through the site changes. The date of the latest update is shown at the top of this page.