Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Amatola Water Board ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our services.

We comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa and other applicable data protection laws.

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide and maintain our water services
• Process payments and manage accounts
• Respond to inquiries and provide customer support
• Send service notifications and updates
• Improve our website and services
• Comply with legal obligations
• Detect and prevent fraud or unauthorized access

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of sensitive data in transit and at rest
• Secure servers and firewalls
• Access controls and authentication
• Regular security assessments and audits
• Staff training on data protection

For comprehensive information about our security practices, including authentication methods, XSS prevention, file upload validation, and incident response procedures, please visit our Security & Data Protection page.

You have the right to:

• Access your personal information held by us
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Object to the processing of your information
• Withdraw consent at any time
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator

6. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small data files stored on your device that help us:

• Remember your preferences and settings
• Understand how you use our website
• Improve our services based on usage patterns
• Provide relevant content and features

You can manage your cookie preferences through our Cookie Settings, accessible from the footer of our website.

7. Third-Party Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties without your consent, except:

• To trusted service providers who assist in operating our website and services
• When required by law or to protect our rights
• In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets
• With your explicit consent