Privacy

How we use your personal information 

When you respond to an Ofwat consultation or engagement activity, we collect and use personal information to understand views, analyse responses, and administer the consultation fairly and transparently. We are committed to handling your personal information lawfully, fairly and securely. 

Who we are 

Ofwat (the Water Services Regulation Authority) is the data controller for the personal information you provide through this consultation. Our registration number with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is Z5116866.  

What information we collect 

Depending on the consultation, we may collect: 

  • your name 

  • your contact details (such as your email address) 

  • the name of the organisation you represent, if applicable 

  • your consultation responses and any supporting information you choose to provide 

We only collect information that is necessary to run the consultation. 

How we use your information 

We use your information to: 

  • manage and administer the consultation 

  • analyse and summarise responses 

  • inform our policy development and regulatory decision-making 

  • publish consultation findings — responses are usually presented in an anonymised or aggregated form 

In some cases, we may publish individual responses where this is necessary for transparency. Where we intend to publish responses in full, we will make this clear in the consultation materials. 

Our lawful basis for processing 

We process your personal information because it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest and in the exercise of our statutory functions as a regulator, under Article 6(1)(e) of the UK GDPR. 

Who we share your information with 

We may share consultation responses internally within Ofwat and, where necessary, with: 

  • other public bodies involved in the relevant policy or regulatory area 

  • contractors or suppliers who help us run consultations, under strict contractual controls 

We do not sell personal information or share it for commercial purposes. 

How long we keep your information 

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to support the consultation and to meet our legal and regulatory obligations, including record-keeping and audit requirements. For further detail, please refer to Ofwat's retention schedule in G9 Retention and Disposal Policy - Ofwat 

Your rights 

Under data protection law, you have the right to: 

  • access the personal information we hold about you 

  • ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information 

  • ask us to restrict or object to our processing of your information in certain circumstances 

  • make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office 

Further information 

For further information on our use of personal information, please see G5-Privacy-Policy.pdf. 

Contact us 

If you have questions about how your personal information is used, or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer: 

Email: dpo@ofwat.gov.uk  

Post: Data Protection Officer, Ofwat (Water Services Regulation Authority), Centre City Tower, 7 Hill Street, Birmingham, B5 4UA 

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk. 

Delib Privacy Information

Delib's software (this website) enables organisations to set up and operate activities, through which they can engage with you.

This site is managed by the controlling organisation, Ofwat (Water Regulation Authority). When you access and use this site, the personal information you have submitted to these activities will go to the organisation. Delib will not access your personal information unless requested to do so by the organisation, and only for the purposes of assisting them with the administration of this site.

Accessing your Personal Information

If you have any questions or requests about your personal information, for example to request a copy of it, or to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong, please contact the organisation (as stated in their Privacy Notice / Privacy Statement / Privacy Policy). It is the controlling organisation's responsibility to answer any questions or requests about your personal information.

Collection of Browser Information

The information provided by your computer when you use this website is collected by Delib. For example, your browser type, IP address, language preference, referring site and the date and time. The purpose for collecting this information is to maintain the security of the website and for operating and improving the software.