The short version
- We do not sell your data. We never have, we never will.
- We collect your email address if you subscribe to the newsletter, and optionally your ZIP code to tailor the digest.
- We collect anonymous, aggregated usage statistics (page views, ZIP-code-search counts) via a privacy-respecting analytics provider. No cross-site tracking, no third-party advertising cookies.
- We use cached EWG and EPA-published utility data to generate water reports. That data is public and is not tied to you as an individual.
- You can request deletion of your subscriber record at any time by emailing privacy@waterawarenessfoundation.com.
What we collect, specifically
If you subscribe to the newsletter
We store your email address, the optional ZIP code you provided, the timestamp you subscribed, and whether you have confirmed your subscription. That is the entirety of the personally-identifying data we hold for subscribers.
If you generate a water report
We log the ZIP code you searched and cache the corresponding utility data so the next visitor for the same ZIP gets a faster response. We do not store an association between a specific ZIP-code search and a specific visitor or device unless you also subscribe to the newsletter and link a ZIP to it.
Automatically collected (analytics)
We use a privacy-respecting analytics provider (Plausible or equivalent) configured to collect:
- Page URL, referrer URL, browser type, country (from IP)
- Nothing tied to a user identifier or cookie. No cross-site tracking. No advertising network is loaded.
Cookies
The foundation site does not use marketing cookies. It uses functional cookies only where strictly necessary (for example, to remember if you have dismissed an alert). No advertising or tracking cookies are set by the foundation.
How we use your data
- Email address: to send you the weekly Sunday digest, and (rarely) operational emails about the foundation.
- ZIP code (subscribers): to tailor the regional alerts section of the weekly digest. Never disclosed to third parties.
- Aggregated usage data: to understand which articles and contaminants are most read, so we can prioritize future editorial work.
Who we share data with
Nobody, in any meaningful sense. Specifically:
- No advertisers. The foundation does not run advertising and does not sell space.
- No data brokers. Period.
- Service providers who help us operate the site (Supabase for our database, Resend or Postmark for transactional email, Vercel for hosting) process data on our behalf under their own privacy policies. They are not permitted to use foundation data for any purpose other than delivering the service.
Your rights
If you are in the European Union, the United Kingdom, California, or another jurisdiction with comparable data-protection law, you have the right to:
- Request a copy of the data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data
- Withdraw consent at any time (unsubscribe is one click)
To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@waterawarenessfoundation.com. We will respond within 30 days, typically much faster.
Children's privacy
The site is intended for a general adult audience. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 13. If you believe we have, contact us at privacy@waterawarenessfoundation.com and we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
We will update this page if our practices change. Material changes will be disclosed in the Sunday newsletter at least 14 days before they take effect.
Contact
Email privacy@waterawarenessfoundation.com with any privacy question or request. For general contact, see /about.