Privacy Policy - Hydro-Ottawa

1. Introduction

At Hydro Ottawa, we are firmly committed to safeguarding the privacy and personal data of our users. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, process, and protect your personal information in accordance with applicable privacy laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Our guiding principle is transparency — your data belongs to you, and we aim to manage it securely, ethically, and responsibly.

2. Scope of Policy and Data Controller Role

This Privacy Policy applies to all personal information collected through our website, hydro-ottawa.com (hereafter, “the Site”), and any associated digital services. We act as the data controller for the purposes of the GDPR, which means we determine the purposes and means of processing personal data collected through this Site.

Please note that this policy does not extend to third-party platforms or services linked on hydro-ottawa.com. We encourage users to review the privacy policies of those third-party websites before sharing any personal data.

3. Categories of Data Processed

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data when you interact with hydro-ottawa.com:

a) Usage Data
This includes information about how you interact with our Site, such as browser type, IP address, pages visited, time on site, referring URLs, login timestamps, and session analytics.

b) Account Data
Collected when you register for or manage an account on hydro-ottawa.com, this may include your full name, email address, mailing address, and telephone number.

c) Profile Data
Information related to user activity, such as preferences, purchase history, service subscriptions, feedback, and behavioral data based on interactions with our content and services.

d) Communication Data
This refers to correspondence or communications you send us, including support inquiries, contact form submissions, records of conversations, and customer service interactions.

e) Technical Data
Details regarding the devices and systems you use to access our website, including hardware model, operating system, browser version and plug-ins, system language, time zone setting, and mobile network information.

f) Transaction Data
Collected in the course of providing services, including billing records, payment confirmations, transaction history, and delivery or service-related information.

g) Preference Data
Captured when you indicate preferences, such as your selected communication settings (e.g. email marketing opt-ins), product interests, language choices, and notification settings.

4. Legal Bases for Processing

We process your personal data pursuant to one or more of the following legal bases as defined under the GDPR:

– Consent: When you have explicitly given us permission to process your data for specific purposes, such as subscribing to newsletters.
– Contractual Necessity: When the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are party, such as creating and managing your user account or processing your service transactions.
– Legitimate Interests: When we rely on our legitimate business interests — such as ensuring website security or improving our services — provided your fundamental rights do not override those interests.
– Legal Obligation: When processing is necessary to comply with applicable laws and regulatory requirements.

5. Your Rights

As a data subject under GDPR — and, where applicable, as a consumer under the CCPA — you may exercise the following rights in connection with your personal data:

– Right of Access: Obtain confirmation of the personal data we hold about you and request a copy.
– Right to Rectification: Request the correction or update of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
– Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your data under certain conditions (also known as the “right to be forgotten”).
– Right to Restriction: Request a restriction on processing of your data in specific scenarios.
– Right to Data Portability: Receive a copy of your data in a structured, commonly-used, machine-readable format and request its transfer to another controller.
– Right to Object: Object to the processing of your data based on legitimate interests or for marketing purposes.
– Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw previously given consent at any time without affecting the legality of prior processing.

CCPA-specific rights also include:

– The right to know what categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected.
– The right to request deletion of such information (with applicable exceptions).
– The right to opt out of the sale of personal information.
– The right not to be discriminated against for exercising any privacy rights.

Requests to exercise these rights can be submitted via email to [email protected].

6. Security Measures

We implement and maintain robust administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, and destruction. Our practices include encryption of data in transit and at rest, multi-factor authentication, access control policies, regular system audits, secure backup procedures, and privacy training for all personnel who handle data.

7. International Transfers

Where necessary, your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your jurisdiction. In such cases, we take steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including the use of Standard Contractual Clauses, adequacy decisions by relevant authorities, and other legally compliant mechanisms in line with the GDPR and CCPA requirements.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected — including legal, regulatory, and operational needs. Retention periods by data category include:

– Usage and Technical Data: Retained up to 12 months for analytics and security evaluation.
– Account, Transaction, and Profile Data: Retained for the duration of account usage and an additional 7 years for legal record-keeping.
– Communication Data: Retained for up to 5 years to manage inquiries and resolve complaints.
– Preference Data: Maintained until you update or withdraw your preferences.

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymized.

9. Cookie Policy

Cookies are small text files stored on your browser to enhance your user experience. We use the following types of cookies on hydro-ottawa.com:

– Essential Cookies: Necessary for basic website functionality; these cannot be disabled.
– Functional Cookies: Enable enhanced features such as saved preferences and service personalization.
– Analytics Cookies: Collect aggregated data to help us understand usage patterns and improve site performance.
– Performance Cookies: Analyze technical performance and usability, helping us to optimize service delivery.

10. Cookie Management and Compliance

In compliance with GDPR and CCPA, we provide users with clear options to manage cookie preferences. On your first visit, and periodically thereafter, a Cookie Consent Banner allows you to accept or reject non-essential cookies. You may also manage your preferences by adjusting your browser settings or visiting our Cookie Settings page. Under CCPA, users may opt out of “sale” of personal information where applicable; currently, we do not sell personal data for monetary value.

11. Special Protections for Children Under 13

We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal data from children under the age of 13. If it comes to our attention that such data has been inadvertently collected, we will take swift and appropriate steps to delete it. Parents or guardians who believe their child has submitted data should contact us at [email protected].

12. Policy Updates and User Notifications

This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically to reflect legal, technical, or business developments. When material changes are made, users will be notified via prominent notice on hydro-ottawa.com or by direct communication if applicable. Continued use of the Site after changes have been implemented signifies your acceptance of the revised Policy.

13. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us using the information below:

Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.hydro-ottawa.com

We are fully committed to upholding your privacy rights and ensuring compliance with applicable data protection laws. Please do not hesitate to reach out for further information or to exercise your rights.