Privacy

Introduction

In keeping with its operations, the National Water Commission (NWC) collects and maintains personal information on its customers, suppliers and contractors. In this regard, the NWC is committed to respecting, protecting and ensuring your privacy by handling the personal information collected in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 2020 and other applicable laws.

This Privacy Notice explains the NWC’s practices and provides information on the following:

1. What is Personal Data?
2. What Personal Data does the NWC collect?
3. How will the NWC use Personal Data
4. Will the NWC Share Personal Data
5. Data Security
6. What are your Rights
7. Data Retention
8. How to Contact the NWC

What is Personal Data?

Personal Data refers to any information that can identify or which can be used to identify an individual, either on its own or when combined with other personal data. This includes identifiers such as name, address, contact information (telephone number, email address) and account number.

What Personal Data Does the NWC Collect?

The type of Personal Data that is collected from you is dependent on your interaction with us and may include the following:

1. Customer Information: Personal details such as your name, address, contact details (email address, telephone number), Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN), land title, etc.
2. Supplier Information: Business name, address of business, Contact information - telephone number and email address, Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC), Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN), Banking Information.

How will the NWC use your Personal Data?

Personal Data is used for the following purposes:

1. Service Provision:
   1. To provide water and sewerage services, to bill you for the services provided and address any service-related issues.
   2. To provide, operate and manage information in furtherance of a procurement process;
   3. To provide and manage information in furtherance of an evaluation exercise as conducted in a procurement and selection exercise.
2. Communication:
   1. To contact you regarding service updates and communicate with you about your account.
   2. Respond to enquiries and comments, as raised on social media, email or on the website.
3. Payment Processing:To pay suppliers accurately and efficiently using their banking account details and tax information.
4. Contract Management:To identify authorized representatives, verify eligibility and for contract performance.
5. e. Legal Compliance:To process your information in accordance with Legal Requirements and Regulatory Frameworks.

Will the NWC share your Personal Data?

The NWC may share your data in the following circumstances:

• To provide the service(s) you have requested, such as a Software provider
• Where the third party is providing services on behalf of the company, such as, Information Technology Services, Legal Services and Debt Collection.
• For Credit References
• Pursuant to a request made under the Access to Information Act (ATI)
• Where there is a need to conduct investigations or act regarding illegal activities.

Contractual arrangements are in place to ensure the security and protection of your data when shared with third parties.

Data Security

The NWC has implemented appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect personal data from unauthorized access, loss, alteration, or disclosures. Care has also been taken to limit access to your personal data to those team members, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know.

The National Water Commission employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause interference or damage. This software receives and records the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer that has contacted our website, the date and time of the visit and the pages visited. We make no attempt to link these addresses with the identity of visitors to our site unless an attempt to interfere with or damage the site has been detected.

What are your Rights?

You have certain rights regarding your personal data such as, accessing or correcting your data. Your Personal Data will only be processed for the purposes it was collected.

Data Retention

The NWC will only retain your personal data for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected and where necessary, to comply with Legal and Regulatory obligations.

Contact

For queries or concerns regarding the processing of your Personal Data, you may contact the NWC’s Data Protection Officer by sending an email to dpa@nwc.com.jm.