Privacy Notice

Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice is designed to explain how we collect and use personal data of individuals who use this website. We are committed to protecting this data, to uphold their data rights, and to meet expectations for handling personal data.

We, Portsmouth Water, are a registered data controller, registration number: Z6707640. This means it is our responsibility to maintain and protect all personal data that we collect and ensure that anyone we share personal data with will also adequately protect that data.

This Notice relates to Portsmouth Water Limited (Company Number 2536455) as the principal subsidiary in the South Downs Group, but will also apply to other subsidiaries.

Our collection, use and disclosure of your personal information is regulated by the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulations (UK GDPR).

The software platform this website runs on and associated technology operations are provided by Bang the Table and EngagementHQ. Click this link for the Privacy Policy governing their service. 

What personal date do we collect?

Profile Information

We collect information from you when you register to use this website. This includes your name, email address and additional demographic information as provided by you on the registration form.

Please note that you are able to browse any publicly accessible sections of this website completely anonymously without signing up.

Engagement Information

This relates to the content you create as part of your interactions with this website. These can include responses to surveys, comments on discussion forums, or any of the other engagement opportunities available.

Usage Information

We collect information about your usage of the site, such as pages visited, documents downloaded.

How we use the information we collect

We collect this information in order to:

  • analyse and interpret it to help meet our objectives and obligations;
  • communicate information to you about engagement opportunities, events and other initiatives; and,
  • respond to enquiries and otherwise engage with stakeholders.

External links

Our website may contain links to other websites. Those links are provided for convenience and may not remain current or be maintained. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of linked websites and we suggest you review the privacy information of those websites before using them.

Security

We work very hard to protect information about you against unauthorised access, use, alteration, or destruction, and take all reasonable measures to do so.

Who will we share your data with?

If you provide comments or questions on this website and ask for contact to follow up on this, your contact details will be shared with the relevant consultant to allow a response to be provided.

Cookies & Cookie Policy

Whenever you visit our website we use cookies - these cookies do not collect personal information.

We use a cookies tool on this website to gain consent for the optional cookies we use. Cookies that are necessary for functionality, security and accessibility are set and are not deleted by the tool. You can read more about how we use cookies on this website, and how to change your cookies preferences, in our Cookies Policy.

Most web browsers allow some control of cookies through browser settings. More information about cookies, including how to block and/or delete them, via a range of common browsers, can be found at www.allaboutcookies.org.

Requesting Access or Correcting Your Personal Data

You have certain legal rights in relation to any personal data about you which we hold. These rights are summarised below:

  • Right to be informed 

You can ask for details of how we process your personal data, as cover by this Privacy Notice.

  • Right to Access 

You can ask for a copy of the information we hold about you. If possible, you should specify the type of information you’d like to see to ensure that our response meets your expectations. We must be able to verify your identify and your request may not impact the rights and freedoms of other people, e.g. privacy and confidentiality rights of other customers or staff. Other exemptions may apply and this will be dependent on the information and context.

  • Right to Rectification 

You can ask that your personal data be corrected or updated if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete. This right only applies to your own personal data and when exercising this right, please be as specific as possible.

  • Right to Erasure 

You may, in certain circumstances, be entitled to ask to have your personal data erased (this is also known as the ‘right to be forgotten’). We may not be able to erase your personal data if, for example, we need it to comply with a legal obligation or exercise or defend legal claims.

  • Right to Restriction on Processing 

You can ask us to stop using your personal data, however, in some circumstances this right may not apply, for example, if you have a legal obligation to use the data.

  • Right to Data Portability 

We do not currently carry out any such processing. If we do in the future, you can make a request and this data can be exported from our systems.

  • Right to Object 

You can request that your personal data is not processed for specific purposes such as profiling. This right applies where our processing of your personal data is necessary for us to perform a task in the public interest or for our functions or for our legitimate purposes. You can also object to our processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes. If you would like to opt out of receiving any marketing communications from us, please contact us using the details within this Notice.

  • Rights Related to Automated Decision-making, including Profiling 

You have the right to not be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing of your personal data (i.e. no human intervention), including profiling, where the decision affects your legal status or rights of where the decision has a similarly significant effect, e.g. affecting your financial circumstances or employment opportunities.

The applicability of some of these rights depends on the legal basis of processing of the data concerned. Some of these rights only apply in specific circumstances and we may not need to fully comply with your request in all cases.

You may exercise any of these rights free of charge, by contacting us. We may need to check your identity and may need to ask for more information – it’ll help us to help you if you're as specific in your request as possible.

We’ll comply with your request within one calendar month (from the time we receive your request, or any additional information we asked for) unless:

  • It's a complex request – in such cases, we’ll respond within the month to inform you of the appropriate response period that will apply to your request (which may be a period of up to three months); or,
  • in exceptional circumstances, we would not be able to carry out your request. In these cases, we'll inform you of the reason within one calendar month.

Contacting Us

If you would like to request further information about our Privacy Notice, or exercise any of your rights, you can email us at dataprotection@portsmouthwater.co.uk or write us at:

Data Protection Officer 

Portsmouth Water 

PO Box 8 

West Street 

Havant 

PO9 1LG 

You can also contact the Information Commissioner's Office at http://ico.org.uk/ or write to Wycliffe House Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF or 0303 123 1113 for information, advice or to make a complaint.

Portsmouth Water tries to meet the highest standards when collecting and using personal information. For this reason, we take any complaints we receive about this very seriously. We encourage people to bring it to our attention if they think that our collection or use of information is unfair, misleading or inappropriate. We would also welcome any suggestions for improving our procedures.