GDPR Policy
1. Introduction
Tough Water Solutions is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information. We recognise the importance of safeguarding personal data and are committed to processing it fairly, lawfully and transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and other applicable data protection legislation.
This policy explains our commitment to data protection and outlines how personal information is managed within our business.
2. Our Commitment
Tough Water Solutions is committed to:
Processing personal data lawfully, fairly and transparently.
Collecting personal information only for specified and legitimate purposes.
Ensuring personal data is accurate and kept up to date.
Collecting only the information necessary for the purposes for which it is processed.
Keeping personal information secure using appropriate technical and organisational measures.
Retaining personal information only for as long as necessary.
Respecting the rights of individuals under UK GDPR.
3. Personal Information We Process
Depending on the nature of your enquiry and the services required, we may process:
Names.
Company or organisation names.
Job titles.
Email addresses.
Telephone numbers.
Business, property or site addresses.
Billing information where applicable.
Site contact information.
Details about premises and water systems.
Details of water tanks and water storage systems.
TMV testing requirements.
Water chlorination or disinfection requirements.
Commercial water softener requirements.
Communications between you and us.
Technical information such as IP addresses, browser types and website usage data.
Information collected through cookies and analytics tools where applicable.
4. Why We Process Personal Information
We process personal information to:
Respond to enquiries.
Understand water hygiene and water treatment requirements.
Prepare and arrange quotations.
Arrange site visits and assessments.
Arrange water tank cleaning.
Arrange water tank disinfection.
Arrange water system chlorination.
Arrange TMV testing.
Arrange commercial water softener installation.
Communicate with customers and prospective customers.
Introduce customers to suitable specialist service providers where appropriate.
Provide information about our services.
Improve our website and customer experience.
Maintain appropriate business records.
Meet legal and regulatory obligations.
Prevent fraud and maintain website security.
Where appropriate, enquiries may be shared with carefully selected water hygiene, water treatment or specialist service providers so they can contact you directly, discuss your requirements and deal with your enquiry.
5. Lawful Bases for Processing
We process personal information under one or more of the following lawful bases:
Consent.
Performance of a contract.
Legitimate interests.
Compliance with legal obligations.
Our legitimate interests may include responding to business enquiries, operating our website, arranging requested services, introducing prospective customers to relevant service providers and improving our services.
Where consent is relied upon, individuals have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.
6. Data Sharing
We only share personal information where it is necessary to respond to an enquiry, arrange the requested services or comply with legal requirements.
Recipients may include:
Water tank cleaning and disinfection specialists.
Water hygiene contractors.
Water treatment specialists.
TMV testing providers.
Commercial water softener installers.
Contractors and suppliers.
Payment providers.
Website hosting providers.
IT support providers.
Email and communication providers.
Professional advisers.
Accountants.
Government bodies or regulators where required by law.
Where your enquiry is passed to a specialist service provider, that provider may contact you directly to discuss your requirements, arrange a site assessment and provide a quotation.
We require organisations handling personal information on our behalf to maintain appropriate security measures and comply with applicable data protection legislation.
7. Data Security
Tough Water Solutions takes appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against accidental loss, unauthorised access, misuse, disclosure, alteration or destruction.
Security measures may include:
Secure hosting environments.
Password-protected systems.
Restricted access to personal information.
Secure data storage.
Regular software and security updates.
Appropriate data protection procedures.
Access to personal information is limited to those who require it for legitimate business purposes.
8. Data Retention
Personal information is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected or to meet legal obligations.
The length of time information is retained may depend on the nature of the enquiry, whether services are provided and any applicable legal, regulatory, accounting or contractual requirements.
Retention periods are reviewed periodically and personal information is securely deleted or anonymised when it is no longer required.
9. Individual Rights
Under UK GDPR, individuals have the right to:
Access their personal information.
Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
Request erasure of personal information where applicable.
Request restriction of processing.
Object to processing.
Request data portability where applicable.
Withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis.
Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
These rights may be subject to certain legal conditions and exemptions.
Requests relating to personal information will be handled without undue delay and within the timeframes required by law.
10. Marketing
Where permitted by law, Tough Water Solutions may use personal information to provide information about our water hygiene, water treatment and related services.
Marketing communications will only be sent where there is an appropriate lawful basis.
Individuals can opt out of marketing communications at any time by using an unsubscribe option where provided or by contacting us directly.
11. Cookies and Website Data
Our website may use cookies and analytics technologies to understand how visitors use the website and improve its performance.
Where required, non-essential cookies will only be used after consent has been provided.
Further information about the cookies used on our website is available in our Cookie Policy.
12. International Data Transfers
Where personal information is transferred outside the United Kingdom, appropriate safeguards will be implemented in accordance with UK GDPR to ensure the continued protection of personal data.
13. Data Breaches
Any actual or suspected personal data breach will be investigated promptly.
Where required by law, breaches will be reported to the Information Commissioner's Office and affected individuals within the required timescales.
Appropriate action will be taken to contain any breach, minimise its potential impact and reduce the risk of a similar incident occurring again.
14. Responsibilities
Anyone handling personal information on behalf of Tough Water Solutions is expected to:
Process information confidentially.
Follow this policy and applicable data protection legislation.
Report suspected data breaches promptly.
Only access personal information where necessary.
Keep personal information accurate where reasonably possible.
Take appropriate steps to protect information from unauthorised access or disclosure.
15. Relationship With Our Privacy Policy
This GDPR Policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.
Our Privacy Policy provides further information about the personal information we collect, how it is used and the circumstances in which it may be shared.
16. Policy Review
This policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure it remains accurate, effective and compliant with current data protection legislation.
Updates may be made where our business practices, water hygiene services, water treatment services or legal obligations change.
17. Contact
If you have any questions regarding this GDPR Policy, wish to exercise your data protection rights or have concerns about how Tough Water Solutions handles personal information, please contact us through our website contact form.