Privacy policy

1. Introduction

This is the Privacy Policy (the “policy”) of SME Water Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales under registration number 11294509, whose registered office is at Unit 5, The Workshops, Marcus Street, Birkenhead, Wirral, England, CH41 1EU.

SME Water Ltd (hereafter “SME Water”, “we” or “us”) understands that your privacy is important to you and that you care about how your personal data is used. We respect and value the privacy of everyone who visits our website (https://www.sme-water.co.uk/) and will only collect and use personal data in ways that are described here, and in a way that is consistent with our obligations and your rights under the law.

Please read this policy carefully and ensure that you understand it.

2. What does this policy cover?

This Privacy Policy applies only to your use of this website. This website may contain links to other websites. Please note that we have no control over how your data is collected, stored, or used by other websites and we advise you to check the privacy policies of any such websites before providing any data to them.

We may change this policy from time to time. Any changes to this policy will be immediately posted on the website and you will be deemed to have accepted the terms of the policy on your first use of the website following the alteration. If you do not wish to accept the changes, you should not continue to use the website.

This policy was last updated on 02 October 2020.

3. What is personal data?

Personal data is defined by the General Data Protection Regulation (EU Regulation 2016/679) (the “GDPR”) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (collectively, “the Data Protection Legislation”) as any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified in particular by reference to an identifier.

In simpler terms, personal data is any information about you that enables you to be identified. Personal data covers obvious information such as your name and contact details, but it also covers less obvious information such as identification numbers, electronic location data, and other online identifiers.

4. What are my rights?

Under the Data Protection Legislation, you have the following rights, which we will always work to uphold:

The right to be informed about our collection and use of your personal data.

The right to access the personal data we hold about you.

The right to have your personal data rectified if any of your personal data held by us is inaccurate or incomplete.

The right to be forgotten (i.e. the right to ask us to delete or otherwise dispose of your personal data).

The right to restrict the processing of your personal data.

The right to object to us using your personal data for a particular purpose or purposes.

The right to withdraw consent.

The right to data portability.

Rights relating to automated decision-making and profiling. We do not use your personal data in this way.

For more information about our use of your personal data or exercising your rights as outlined above, please contact us.

It is important that your personal data is kept accurate and up-to-date. If any of the personal data we hold about you changes, please keep us informed.

Further information about your rights can be obtained from the Information Commissioner’s Office or your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

If you have any cause for complaint about our use of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office. However, we would welcome the opportunity to resolve your concerns ourselves first.

5. What data do you collect and how?

Depending upon your use of this website, we may collect and hold some or all of the personal data set out below, using the method also set out below.

Data collected: Your full name, phone number and email address

How we collect the data: When you submit completed fields on our Contact webpage (https://www.sme-water.co.uk/contact)

We do not collect any “special category” or “sensitive” personal data.

6. How do you use my personal data?

Under the Data Protection Legislation, we must always have a lawful basis for using personal data. Here’s how we may use your personal data, and our lawful basis for doing so:

What data we use: Your full name, phone number and email address

What we’ll do: Communicate with you

Our lawful basis: Respond to your form submissions on our Contact webpage (https://www.sme-water.co.uk/contact)

We will only use your personal data for the purpose for which it was originally collected unless we reasonably believe that another purpose is compatible with that original purpose. If we do use your personal data in this way and you wish us to explain how the new purpose is compatible with the original, please contact us.

If we need to use your personal data for a purpose that is unrelated to, or incompatible with, the purpose for which it was originally collected, we will inform you and explain the legal basis which allows us to do so.

In some circumstances, where permitted or required by law, we may process your personal data without your knowledge or consent. This will only be done within the bounds of the Data Protection Legislation and your legal rights.

7. How long will you keep my personal data?

We will not keep your personal data for any longer than is necessary in light of the reason for which it was first collected.

There is no fixed retention period on the personal data that you provide us with when you submit completed fields on our Contact webpage, however the retention of this data will be periodically reviewed.

8. How and where do you store or transfer my personal data?

We will only store or transfer your personal data within the UK. This means that it will be fully protected under the Data Protection Legislation.

9. Do you share my personal data?

We will not share any of your personal data with any third parties for any purposes, subject to the following exceptions:

If we sell, transfer, or merge parts of our business or assets, your personal data may be transferred to a third party.

In some limited circumstances, we may be legally required to share certain personal data if we are involved in legal proceedings or complying with legal obligations, a court order, or the instructions of a government authority.

10. Can I withhold information?

You may access this website without providing any personal data at all.

You may restrict our use of cookies. Please refer to part 12 of this policy for more information.

11. How can I access my personal data?

If you want to know what personal data we have about you, you can ask us for details of that personal data and for a copy of it (where any such personal data is held). This is known as a “subject access request”.

All subject access requests should be made in writing and sent to the postal address shown in part 13 of this policy.

We will aim to respond to your subject access request within one month. However, this may be extended by up to two months if your request is complex and/or numerous requests are made. If such additional time is required, you will be kept fully informed of our progress.

There is not normally any charge for a subject access request. If your request is manifestly unfounded or excessive (e.g. if you make repetitive requests) a fee may be charged to cover administrative costs.

12. How do you use cookies?

A cookie is a small text file that a website places on your computer or device when you visit certain parts of a website and/or when you use certain features of a website.

This website may place and access certain first-party cookies on your computer or device. First-party cookies are those placed directly by us and are used only by us. We use cookies to facilitate and improve your experience of this website.

All cookies on this website are used in accordance with current laws and regulations which apply to the use of cookies.

Before cookies are placed on your computer or device, you will be shown pop-up requesting your consent to set those cookies. By giving your consent to the placing of cookies you are enabling us to provide the best possible experience to you. You may deny consent to the placing of cookies; however certain features of this website may not function fully or as intended.

Certain features of this website depend on cookies to function. These cookies are deemed “strictly necessary”. Your consent will not be sought to place these cookies, but it is still important that you are aware of them. You may still block these cookies by changing your internet browser’s settings, but please be aware that this website may not work properly if you do so. We have taken great care to ensure that your privacy is not at risk by allowing them.

The following first-party cookies may be placed on your computer or device:

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