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Flood and Water Management privacy notice

Who we are

We are the Flood and Water Management Service within Kent County Council (KCC). KCC collect, use and is responsible for certain personal data (information) about you. KCC is regulated under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which applies across the European Union (including in the United Kingdom) and is responsible as the ‘Data Controller’ of that personal information for the purposes of those laws.  Our Data Protection Officer is Benjamin Watts.

Flood and water management

We aim to provide you with the highest quality service whilst you are accessing our services. To do this, we must keep records about you and the services we provide for you. We aim to maintain high standards, adopt best practice for our record keeping and regularly check and report on how we are doing.

Under GDPR we must be transparent and provide accessible information to individuals about how we will use your personal information.

What is a ‘Data Controller’?

A ‘Data Controller’ decides why and how your data is processed.

Processing is anything that is done with personal information including collecting, recording, structuring, storing, adapting, altering, retrieving, consulting, use and disclosure.

Our staff are trained to handle your information correctly and protect your privacy. Staff will only share relevant information with other departments within KCC or where required to by law and with sound legal basis.

Personal information we collect and use

When preparing and carrying out Flood and Water Management activities in Kent we may collect or be provided with the following personal information:

  • name
  • address
  • contact details (landline or mobile telephone numbers and/or email address).

This information could be provided directly to us by you, from someone else on your behalf or forwarded to us from a third party who has concerns regarding flooding  (for example the environment agency, a local authority, the emergency services, a member of the public or a water company) who believes it may be of use to us as part of our Flood and Water Management activities.

How and why are we processing your personal information?

These details are used by us to assess flood issues in the area.

We rely on the following lawful grounds for processing personal information:

  • legal obligation (including carrying out our duties under Section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010)
  • public task when carrying out Flood and Water management activities (such as a standalone flood assessment or responding to and dealing with reports of flooding).

How long we store your personal information

This information will be stored securely for 7 years after which time it will be deleted from our system.

Who we share your personal information with

For the purposes of carrying out investigations we may share your name and contact details with KCC officers involved with delivering associated projects or with third parties (such as consultancies, environment agency, Local Authorities) who are processing this information in association with flood issues, but only to the extent it is necessary for us to share that information.

We will share personal information with law enforcement or other authorities if required by applicable law.

Your rights

You have the right to:

  • request a copy of the information we hold about you
  • be informed how and why your personal information is being processed
  • request that we correct any personal information if it is found to be inaccurate, incomplete or out of date
  • request a restriction be placed on further processing where there is a dispute in relation to the accuracy or processing of your personal information or where we no longer need it, but you need it to exercise your legal rights
  • object to the processing of personal information (where it is used on the grounds of it being necessary for the performance of a task in the public interest, unless we have a compelling legitimate ground for processing it which includes for legal claims/defence)
  • lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office if you are unhappy about how we have handled your personal information.

Requesting access to your personal information

You have a right of access to the information we hold about you. If you would like to make a request for access, please contact: Information Resilience and Transparency Team, Room 2.71, Sessions House, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1XQ or email on dataprotection@kent.gov.uk

Find out how we use and store your information.

If you have a concern about the way we are collecting or using your personal information, you should raise your concern with us in the first instance. You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office's website, or by calling 0303 123 1113.

You can contact our Data Protection Officer, Benjamin Watts, at dpo@kent.gov.uk or by writing to the Data Protection Officer at Sessions House, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1XQ.