Privacy Policy/Investor Disclosure | Santa Clara Valley Water

1. Purpose of Policy

This policy addresses: what personal information about visitors is collected on this Santa Clara Valley Water District’s public website (“District Website”); how private information is held; how it will be used; and under what conditions this information may be shared or released to another party. The Santa Clara Valley Water District (“District”) policies exist to ensure that government is open and that the public has a right to access appropriate data/information possessed by the District. At the same time, there are exceptions to the disclosure of data/information provided by District policies, and State and Federal laws. These exceptions include the privacy of individuals. Information collected at this site becomes public record and may be subject to inspection and copying by the public, unless an exception in law exists.

During your visit to the District Website, information that is not readily identifiable to an individual may be automatically collected and stored. The following sections of our Web Privacy Policy explain these uses:

Information That May Be Collected And How It May Be Used
Personal Information and Choice
Public Disclosure
Access To and Correction of Personal Information
Cookies
Security
Disclaimer
Feedback

1.1. Information That May Be Collected & How It May Be Used

If you do nothing during your visit to the District Website but browse or download information, we may automatically collect and store the following information about your visit:

The Internet Protocol (IP) address and domain name used, but not the e-mail address. The IP address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet Service Provider or directly to your computer. We use the IP address to direct Internet traffic to you;

The type of browser you used;
The date and time you visited this site;
The City, Region, State, Country of the computer network used to access the District Website;
The Search engine used to find the District Website;
Visit duration;
The web pages or services you accessed at this site; and
The website visited prior to visiting and after leaving the District Website.
Mobile opt in, SMS consent or numbers for the purpose of SMS are NOT shared with any third parties

The information we collect or store is used to improve the content of our Web services and to help us understand how people are using our services. The District Website’s logs do not identify anyone personally.

If during your visit to the District Website you participate in a survey or send an e-mail, the following additional information will be collected:

E-mail correspondence: The e-mail address and contents of the e-mail;
Surveys: Any information you volunteered in response to a survey.
Phone numbers: Any phone number you provide

The information collected may not be limited to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information formats you send us. The information is retained in accordance with the District’s policies. Santa Clara Valley Water District may use your e-mail to respond to your message, to assist in obtaining information you have requested, to address issues you identify, to further improve the District Website, or to forward the e-mail to another agency for appropriate action. Survey information will be used for the purpose designated.

If you choose to become a registered user you must supply an e-mail address and password. The e-mail address will serve as your user ID, and it will be displayed in any messages you post on message boards. You should not register with an e-mail address you do not want the public to see.

1.2. Personal Information and Choice

"Personal information" is information about an individual that is readily identifiable to that specific individual. Personal information includes personal identifiers such as an individual's name, address, and phone number. A domain name or IP address is not considered personal information.

We will not collect personal information about you unless you voluntarily participate in an activity that asks for information (i.e. sending an e-mail or participating in a survey). If you choose not to participate in these activities, your choice will in no way affect your ability to use any other feature of the District Website.

If you choose to provide the District with personal information, such as sending an e-mail to a District employee or by filling out and submitting an online form located on the District’s District Website, the District will treat such e-mails and submitted online forms the same way it treats letters to a Board member or to a District department.

Mobile opt in, SMS consent or numbers for the purpose of SMS are NOT shared with any third parties. Phone numbers collected are NOT shared with third parties for marketing or any other purposes. SMS Consent is NOT shared with third parties. To opt out of receiving SMS messages from us, simply reply with the word "STOP" to any message you receive. Once you've opted out, you will no longer receive further SMS notifications.

For more information, please see SMS terms and conditions.

1.3. Public Disclosure

We strive to protect personally identifiable information by collecting only information necessary to deliver our services. All information that may be collected at this site becomes public record that may be subject to inspection and copying by the public, unless an exemption in law exists. For instance, if personal information is requested or volunteered, District rules and regulations or the Federal Privacy Act of 1974 may protect it from disclosure.

In the event of a conflict between this Privacy Policy and any applicable law governing the disclosure or protection of information, the governing law will dictate the action to be taken by the District.

1.4. Access to and Correction of Personal Information

You can submit a written request to review any personal information we collect about you. You may recommend changes to your personal information you believe is in error by submitting a written request that credibly shows the error. If you believe that your personal information is being used for a purpose other than what was intended when submitted, you may contact us. In all cases, we will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making corrections.

1.5. Cookies

1.5.1. What Is A Cookie?
A cookie is a small data file which may include an anonymous unique identifier that is sent to your browser from a website's computers and may either be used only during your session (a "session" cookie) or may be stored on your computer's hard drive (a "persistent" cookie). Cookies can contain data about user movement during the visit to the website. If your browser software is set to allow cookies, a website can send its own cookie to you.

1.5.2. Why Are Cookies Used On Websites?
Cookies are a mechanism for maintaining continuity during a user's visit to a website. They allow data to be maintained for users' benefit as they navigate a site. This is referred to as "session" or "management" cookie. These cookies go away when you terminate your visit to the website as they are maintained only in your browser's active memory during your session.
Cookies may also be stored on your computer so that you can be recognized by a website on subsequent visits. They are read by the website that set them whenever you re-visit the website. They are often used on websites that require you to login so that you can avoid having to enter all of your login information every visit. They may store information on your unique identifier and the areas of the website you have visited before. These cookies are stored on your computer's hard drive after you have left your website visit and consequently are often referred to as "persistent" cookies.

1.5.3. Choices About Cookies
You can configure your browser to accept all cookies, reject all cookies, or notify you when a cookie is set. (Each browser is different, so check the "Help" menu of your browser to learn how to change your cookie preferences.)

1.5.4. Regarding Cookies
Presently, the District uses session cookies on some of its Web applications.

1.6. Security
The District has taken several steps to safeguard the integrity of its telecommunications and computing infrastructure. Security measures have been integrated into the design, implementation and day-to-day practices of the entire operating environment as part of its continuing commitment to risk management. Nevertheless, in all fairness the District does not guarantee the absolute security of information it maintains.

1.7. Disclaimer

Webpages maintained by Valley Water on its website may contain links to third-party sites. Links to such third-party sites are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by Valley Water of any of the products, services, information or opinions of the corporation or organization or individual. Valley Water has not participated in the preparation, compilation, or selection of this information contained on third-party sites, and assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, legality or content. You will need to make your own independent judgment regarding your interaction with these sites. Investors and potential investors should rely only on information filed by Valley Water on the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s Electronic Municipal Market Access website for municipal securities disclosures and Valley Water’s Investor Relations webpage, maintained on the World Wide Web at https://emma.msrb.org/ and https://www.valleywater.org/how-we-operate/financebudget/investor-relations, respectively.

1.8. Feedback

To offer comments about the District Website, or to comment about the information presented in this Privacy Policy, e-mail the District’s webmaster at: [email protected]. Please refer to this Privacy Policy periodically since the District may choose to amend the information privacy policy without notice.

Website and Technology Accessibility Statement

Accessibility Assistance. If you have difficulty using or accessing any element of this website or on any Valley Water mobile app or tool, please feel free to email us at [email protected] and we will work with you to provide the information, item, or transaction you seek through a communication method that is accessible for you are consistent with applicable law (for example, through telephone support).

Goal of being better for All. Valley Water desires to provide a positive customer experience to all our customers, and we aim to promote accessibility and inclusion. Our goal is to permit our customers to successfully gather information and transact business through our website. Whether you are using assistive technologies like a screen reader, a magnifier, voice recognition software, or captions for videos, our goal is to make your use of Valley Water's website a successful and enjoyable experience.

Actions. We are taking a variety of steps and devoting resources to further enhance the accessibility of our website.

Ongoing Effort. Although we are proud of the efforts that we have completed and that are in progress, we at Valley Water view accessibility as an ongoing effort.

Feedback. Please contact us if you have any feedback or suggestions as to how we could improve the accessibility of this website.