Privacy

At Water Corporation, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This policy explains how Water Corporation ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, shared, and protects your information in connection with our provision of water, wastewater, drainage and related services across Western Australia, as well as running our business. 

We comply with the Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024 ("PRIS Act"), including its Information Privacy Principles (IPPs) and Responsible Sharing Principles (RSPs). These principles guide how we collect information, how we use it, who we share it with, how we keep it secure, and how we ensure the information we hold about you is accurate and handled responsibly. 

This policy applies to all personal information that Water Corporation collects, uses, discloses, or stores as part of our operations. It covers information relating to customers, employees and job applicants, contractors, suppliers, and other stakeholders we interact with. It also applies to all formats including paper records, digital records, electronic systems, photographs, CCTV footage, and any other recorded content.

Water Corporation recognises the importance of safeguarding personal information, we are committed to embedding applicable requirements throughout our systems, processes, and culture. This means having strong governance, clear roles and responsibilities, and ensuring our staff understand and uphold privacy obligations. In short: we only collect the information we need; we use it for clear and lawful reasons, we keep it secure, and we help you access or correct it when needed.

This privacy policy covers the collection, use, disclosure, information quality, information security, de-identification, use of AI and automated decision-making and responsible information sharing of your personal information. We explain how and when we collect your personal information, what that information is used for, who uses it and when it may be disclosed to other parties.

We collect information that helps us deliver and improve our services, including information from: 

• Customers
• Suppliers and contractors 
• Consultants, managed service providers (MSPs), and other vendors who support our operational procurement, safety and access management processes 
• Recruitment and talent attraction activities 
• Our own employees 
• Stakeholders 
• Aboriginal stakeholders and liaison groups we engage with as part of community partnerships, cultural programs, or other related activities 
• Payment collection and credit history information 
• Competition entrant details
• Personal information provided via telephone, email and face-to-face event interactions
• Personal information provided via our website and forms
• Personal information provided social media
• Personal information captured by our surveillance devices
• Personal information resulting from customer complaints, investigations, prosecutions and litigation 
• Website behavioural data

Personal information is defined as any information that can identify you, or that could reasonably be used to identify you. It doesn’t matter whether the information is written down, stored electronically, or even just an opinion about you. If it relates to you, it can be personal information.

Personal information defined by the PRIS Act can include things like:

• Your basic details, such as your name, date of birth, or home address. 
• Your contact details, like your phone number or email address. 
• Identifiers, such as customer numbers, account numbers, usernames, online IDs or pseudonyms. 
• Location information, for example, where you are or where a service is being used. 
• Technical or behavioural information, such as how you use a website or service, your preferences, or patterns in your activities.
• Inferred information, information guessed or predicted about you, such as your habits or interests based on other data.
• Sensitive personal information, as outlined below. 

In short, if the information is about you, and someone could reasonably identify who you are from it, it is considered personal information.

Sensitive personal information

Sensitive personal information is a special type of personal information. It is more private and can reveal sensitive details about you. Because it is more sensitive, it needs extra care and protection.

Sensitive personal information defined by the PRIS Act can include:

• Your racial or ethnic background.
• Your gender identity, if it differs from your sex at birth.
• Your sexual orientation or sexual practices.
• Your political views, or membership in a political group. 
• Your religious beliefs or affiliations. 
• Your philosophical beliefs. 
• Memberships in professional or trade associations or unions. 
• Your criminal record. 
• Your health information, including medical conditions, disabilities, or genetic details. 
• Biometric data, such as fingerprints, facial scans, voiceprints, or other data used to identify you. 
• Biometric templates used for automated identity checks. 

We only collect sensitive personal information about you when it is genuinely needed for us to provide our services to an appropriate standard, and only if you have agreed to share it with us or if the law allows it. In many cases, we avoid collecting sensitive personal information altogether. If we do need it for example, to support you during financial hardship or to meet specific accessibility needs we handle it with extra care.

We collect information: 

• Directly from you: for example, when you sign up for services, pay bills, contact us, lodge a request or complaint, respond to a survey, complete a form, visit our website, or engage with us in person or by phone.
• From others: where you authorise it or where the law permits (for example, other public entities, local government, or our contracted service providers who support our operations). This can also include information from Aboriginal stakeholders, liaison representatives and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations involved in engagement or service delivery activities.
• Via our systems and devices: for example, meter data, service fault logs, operational systems, and (where used) CCTV at our sites to protect people, assets and critical infrastructure for security purposes. Our Rangers may also collect information during incident responses, compliance activities, or when managing access to catchment and operational areas.

We will only collect personal information that is necessary for our business functions and activities. 

We use your information to: 

• Provide and maintain your water and wastewater services (including connections, metering, maintenance, outages, repairs, billing, concessions). 
• Communicate with you about services, works, emergencies, planned interruptions and regulatory or tariff changes.
• Manage enquiries, requests and complaints.
• Keep our records accurate and up to date.
• Plan, operate and improve our infrastructure.
• Meet our legal, regulatory and reporting obligations.
• Conduct service analytics and quality checks (using de-identified information wherever possible).
• Improve our online digital experiences and online services.
• Promote products and services that assist you with your water use via marketing materials.
• Manage recruitment related activities such as considering you for career opportunities, employment screening, supporting fair hiring process, reviewing your experience during the recruitment process, as well as inviting you to participate in recruitment activities and events. Refer to our Privacy Statement on Recruitment. 
• Manage procurement, contracts, site access and service delivery for contractors, consultants, vendors and managed service providers.
• Support engagement and culturally appropriate service delivery with Aboriginal stakeholders, liaison groups and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations.
• Protect people and assets and meet law enforcement or regulatory obligations through ranger activities, security operations and investigations.

We do not sell your personal information. We also do not use your information for unrelated purposes unless permitted under applicable legislation or if you have provided your consent. 

If you rely on essential uninterrupted water services, have specific vulnerabilities or require special support, we may need to collect certain sensitive personal information so we can provide the right support and meet our responsibilities to you. If you choose not to share this information with us, we may not be able to offer essential service assistance, provide important updates, or properly respond to the issues you raise.

Water Corporation is committed to respecting Aboriginal cultural knowledge and ensuring the privacy, protection and culturally secure handling of personal information relating to Aboriginal people and communities, particularly where such information is sensitive or culturally significant.

In accordance with the PRIS Act, Water Corporation applies heightened protections when handling Aboriginal personal information, including sensitive information relating to family history, cultural knowledge, heritage, or matters that primarily or especially affect Aboriginal people. Additional safeguards are implemented where required to ensure information is handled respectfully, securely, and in a culturally appropriate manner.

Water Corporation recognises Aboriginal people and communities as the custodians of their personal and cultural information. Aboriginal personal information is only collected, used, or shared where it is lawful, necessary, and culturally appropriate. Where consent is required or appropriate, it may be sought through recognised cultural authorities, including Elders, Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs), or other authorised community representatives.

We only share your personal information when it is necessary and reasonable to do so in relation to the purpose for which the information was collected. This may include sharing with:

• Contractors and service providers who help deliver our services. This includes meter reading, billing, mail-outs, water efficiency programs, customer support, and emergency response. 
• Government agencies and regulators where required or permitted by law. This includes for safety reasons, emergency management, public health, or regulatory reporting. These include, but not limited to, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, the Department of Communities, the Valuer General’s Office and Landgate.
• Local governments or partner organisations when needed to coordinate service delivery or respond to issues affecting your property or community.
• Vendors, consultants and managed service providers who assist with specialised services, where they meet required privacy and security obligations.
• Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, Elders or cultural authorities where culturally appropriate, authorised and directly related to engagement or service delivery.
• Law enforcement agencies, regulators or courts and tribunals when information from ranger activities, CCTV, incident responses, investigations or enforcement actions is required or permitted by law.
• Provide aggregate de-identified data (such as water usage patterns) to other parties on request.
• Other parties where you have asked us to share your information, have given consent, or where we are otherwise permitted to do so under applicable legislation.

Our legislation also requires us to ensure that service providers handling personal information on our behalf handle that personal information in accordance with our privacy obligations. This includes meeting our obligations on breach notification, supporting privacy impact assessments, and complying with the information privacy principles through state services contracts. We remain accountable for how they handle your personal information.

When we share information with service providers, they must protect it, keep it confidential, and use it only for the approved purpose. Some of these organisations manage personal information under their own privacy policies, but we require them to meet strict privacy and security obligations. The Water Corporation also takes reasonable steps to ensure that any contract it has with third parties to whom personal information is disclosed contains appropriate contractual obligations on those third parties regarding the use of that personal information.

When someone approaches the media or their member of parliament to discuss their particular situation, and the Water Corporation are then contacted by this third party for more information or for advice about that situation, that individual has provided implied consent for the Water Corporation to disclose information to that third party that will identify the individual or situation.

We will only share information through approved arrangements that clearly define the purpose, safeguards, and responsibilities involved. The Water Corporation will not disclose sensitive information or confidential information about an individual unless the individual consents to the disclosure of the information or the Water Corporation is required by law.

We use cookies and similar technologies, such as third-party analytics, on our website to help it run smoothly, provide you with a more optimal and efficient experience, and to understand how people use it. These technologies help us to understand how people use our digital communication services, improve the customer experience, identify issues and optimisation opportunities and ensure the safety of our staff and community. 

When you read, browse, transact, or download information from our website, we, our internet service provider or our third-party analytics providers may collect information about that activity. This may include details such as the pages you visit, the type of device you’re using, and how well our online services are performing. 

You can manage how cookies work on your device through your browser settings, such as choosing to block cookies or receiving a notification when they are used. Please note that if you turn off certain cookies or all cookies some parts of our website may not function properly or may not be available.

The third-party analytics provider we use is Google Analytics.  If you choose to opt out, Google Analytics will stop collecting data about your website visits across all websites that use Google Analytics, not just our website. To opt out of Google Analytics tracking feel free to install the Opt-out browser add-on, visit the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on page.

Water Corporation uses selected third‑party platforms such as Meta, YouTube, and LinkedIn to share information, provide updates, and engage with our customers and community.

These platforms are operated by external organisations, Water Corporation is not responsible for how they collect, store, or use your personal information. We encourage you to review the privacy policies and terms of use for each platform to understand how your information may be handled. These third‑party policies may permit the use of your personal information in ways that differ from Water Corporation’s practices. Where there is any inconsistency, the third‑party terms apply only to their handling of your information and do not change how Water Corporation manages your personal information under our own privacy policy.
To protect your own privacy, please avoid sharing personal or sensitive information on public social media channels such as Meta. This includes details like your address, date of birth, maiden or middle name, Water Corporation account number, or any information we use to verify your identity. Posting these details publicly may put you at risk of identity theft or unauthorised access to your Water Corporation account.

If you need to discuss your account or provide personal information, please contact us through our private and secure channel on our website: Contact Us.

At times, Water Corporation may collect personal information that you have made publicly available on your social media profiles, but only for purposes consistent with our privacy policy.

We use session‑recording and replay tools to capture how people interact with our website. This may include movements such as clicking, scrolling, typing or swiping, and helps us identify issues, improve page design and user experience, and provide better support.

These recordings are focused on how the website is used, not on identifying individuals. However, in some situations such as when assisting a customer with a technical issue session information may become linked to personal information.

Water Corporation may record customer interactions to help maintain service quality, support staff training, resolve disputes, and improve our services. You can choose to opt-out of call or recordings at any time. We may also record customer interviews, but only when you have given clear permission, to better understand your needs and improve our services and digital tools.

In some situations, we may also ask you to record and share video footage of leaks or other faults on or near your property. This is always optional and only occurs when you choose to record and send the footage from your own device to help us diagnose issues more quickly.

We may also record notes in our system when needed, such as to support customers in vulnerable situations or to ensure we manage your circumstances safely and appropriately.

If you prefer not to have your call or chat recorded or used this way, you can choose not to give your consent and contact us through any of our other channels listed at Contact Us.

We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related technologies to help improve our services and provide you with a more personalised and efficient experience when you interact with us. This can include supporting our staff with information during interactions, improving service quality, identifying common issues, and helping us plan and deliver services more effectively.

Where AI tools are used, we take steps to ensure they are used responsibly, securely, and in line with applicable privacy legislation. Where required, we will seek your consent before using our tools. We may share limited personal information with trusted service providers that support our AI tools, but only for approved purposes and with appropriate safeguards in place.

We do not normally use your information in automated decision-making processes. If we use an automated decision-making process to help make significant decisions about you, we will be transparent about how those affect you and provide a way for you to request a human review of the outcome.

Aboriginal cultural information will not be used to train or operate AI tools unless its use is culturally authorised and handled in a culturally appropriate way.

Water Corporation Rangers may use body‑worn cameras when responding to incidents or interacting with trespassers on Water Corporation property. These recordings help ensure the safety of our employees, support incident management, and may be used as evidence if required. Rangers may also collect personal information in notes, reports, interviews, compliance interactions, access checks, or when responding to community member behaviour on catchment land.

All recordings whether digital, audio, or video are handled in line with the PRIS Act. We only collect, store, and use this information for lawful purposes connected to our services, operations, safety, and customer support.

Water Corporation aims to store all personal information in Australia and follows the Western Australian Government’s guidance on the State’s Data Offshoring Position to ensure information is handled safely and responsibly. We will only disclose personal information to parties outside Australia in situations where you have consented, or where strong privacy protections are in place that meet or exceed relevant privacy legislation in Western Australia.

We may also disclose information overseas if the law requires or authorises it, or if the disclosure is needed so we can deliver a service you have requested or take steps you have asked for before entering into a service arrangement.

In all cases, we will take reasonable steps to ensure your information will not be held, used, or disclosed in ways that conflict with the PRIS Act.

We work to keep your information accurate, complete and up to date. You can help by telling us promptly about changes to your contact details or circumstances. If you need to update or change your personal details securely at any time, you can do so securely through our website at Update Your Details.

The Freedom of Information Act 1992 (“FOI Act”) applies to Water Corporation, and you can also request access to, and correction of, your information held by us through a Freedom of Information application.

Under the FOI Act, you can:

• Access: You can ask for access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: You can ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.
• Transparency: We will explain how we handle your information and who to contact for help.

Please refer here for further information on making an application to access, or correct your information held by Water Corporation: Freedom of Information. 

 

We use a combination of administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect your information from misuse, loss, and unauthorised access or disclosure. We also follow the State Records Act 2000 and our own retention and disposal schedules and securely destroy or de-identify information that is no longer required for lawful business or operational purposes.

We may de-identify your information and take steps to minimise the risk of re-identification and ensure de-identified data is handled appropriately.

From 1 January 2027, in the rare event of a serious data breach that may cause harm, we will notify the WA Information Commissioner and affected individuals and act promptly to reduce any risks, as required under the PRIS Act.

If you have a privacy concern or wish to make a complaint, please contact the Water Corporation’s Privacy Officer at privacy@watercorporation.com.au 

We take your questions and privacy concerns seriously. When you contact us with a query or complaint, we will provide you with an acknowledgement and investigate the matter as quickly as we can. To help us respond efficiently, it’s useful if you provide your request or complaint in writing and include as much detail as possible.

Once our investigation is complete, we will let you know the outcome. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Information Commissioner (WA) for further help.

If you would like more information about how we handle personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@watercorporation.com.au