Privacy Policy
Introduction
This privacy notice describes the handling of all personal data we process. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the controller.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Seacole Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
If you need further information about how we use your personal data and your associated rights you can contact the DWI Enquires Team at dwi.enquiries@defra.gov.uk or at the above address.
The data protection officer for Defra is responsible for checking that we comply with legislation. You can contact them at DefraGroupDataProtectionOfficer@defra.gov.uk or at the above address.
This policy only relates to the personal data that DWI collects and processes, or otherwise controls. We are not responsible for external organisations that may link to DWI’s web pages. For more information concerning external agencies and stakeholders please visit the relevant privacy statement on their own web pages.
Who we are
The DWI is committed to the responsible handling and security of personal data. Your privacy is important to us and protected in law through the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act (DPA 2018).
Our website address is: https://www.dwi.gov.uk.
What is personal data?
Personal data is data which identifies an individual directly or indirectly, by reference to an identifier such as their name or a reference number.
When will we collect your information?
The DWI may collect your personal data in a number of ways. Below are some examples
- Visitors to our website
- In response to queries you raise
- Correspondence and other forms of contact with the DWI for general purposes
- Correspondence and other forms of contact with the DWI in connection with the DWI’s statutory duties as the drinking water quality regulator, for example when a consumer contacts us because they are unhappy with their water supplier’s investigation into a drinking water quality concern.
- Under certain circumstances, water suppliers provide consumer contact data to the DWI, for example if consumers have complained to their water supplier because of a drinking water quality problem. The DWI may contact affected consumers about the issue to obtain further information.
- Data submitted by local authorities on private water supplies in their area.
- Job applicants and our current and former employees, liaison contacts, contractors and secondees.
Why we use your information
We process your personal data to carry out our statutory duties as the regulator of public drinking water supplies in England and Wales to provide assurance that they are safe and acceptable to consumers.
How and when we might share your personal data
We will only share personal data with third parties for the purposes of our public tasks, as set out in the Water Industry Act 1991, to comply with a legal requirement or in exceptional circumstances to protect individuals from harm or injury. We may share your personal data with other organisations in the Defra group, such as the Environment Agency, other Government departments, other regulators and other public bodies. This will only be necessary for the performance of tasks carried out in the public interest as permitted by legislation. For example, with prosecuting lawyers in their role of supporting us when we suspect an offence has taken place under the Water Industry Act 1991 or the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (England) as amended and Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2018 (Wales) as amended. Where personal data is provided in the form of a formal witness statement, it may be made public during court proceedings. Other personal data may be disclosed to the defence as unused material, as required by law.
Transfers of personal data outside of the UK
We do not transfer any personal data outside of the UK.
Information processed through different media
Telephone calls
Telephone calls to and from the DWI are not recorded. We do have a voicemail system where messages for call back are received. Once the information has been retrieved for assigning to the relevant DWI Team, they are then deleted from the voicemail system.
Emails
Emails to the DWI are normally received by our Enquiries Team at dwi.enquiries@defra.gov.uk. The emails are processed in order for us to respond and deal with your query. Once your enquiry is complete, we will keep your personal data in accordance with our retention schedule.
Analytical Cookies
If you visit our website, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
How to contact us
For enquiries, for example to tell us your details are inaccurate or incomplete, to ask to see the data we hold about you, or to withdraw your consent or request your personal data be deleted, please contact our Enquiries Team at dwi.enquiries@defra.gov.uk.
To make a complaint about how your personal data has been handled please follow Defra’s complaints process.
To report a data breach, contact the Defra Helpline on 03459 33 55 77 (UK) or +44 20 7238 6951 (from outside the UK) or online. If you are unhappy with our response or if you need any advice you should contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who are the supervisory authority: The ICO can be contacted using the following link: ICO.