Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

The App is operated by the Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (DAWASA), Tanzania. We provide digital access to water and sewerage customer services, including account support, issue reporting, bills, announcements, and related staff tools.

Contact for privacy questions: info@dawasa.go.tz · Customer care: 181 / 0800 110 064

2. Information we collect

Depending on how you use the App, we may collect:

• Identity & contact data — full name and phone number (used for OTP login and customer records).
• Account & session data — authentication tokens/sessions, device-related session metadata needed to keep you signed in securely.
• Service request data — details you submit when reporting water/sewer issues, suggestions, meter verification, applications, or tracking requests.
• Location data — approximate or precise location when you choose to attach a map location to an issue report (to help field teams respond).
• Photos / media — images you upload for issue reports, announcements (staff), or in-app messaging (staff DChat), stored to support service delivery.
• Billing / account lookup data — information retrieved from DAWASA systems when you request bill or account details (subject to those systems’ rules).
• Technical & usage data — app version, basic diagnostics, and security/rate-limit signals (for example IP address at the API) to protect the service and improve reliability.
• Staff account data — for authorised DAWASA staff, credentials and role information linked to internal systems (e.g. DAMIS) for portal and operational features.

We do not knowingly require payment card numbers in this App for the core customer flows described above.

3. How we use your information

• Authenticate you with one-time passwords (OTP) sent by SMS.
• Create and manage your App profile and secure sessions.
• Receive, route, and follow up on service requests and tickets.
• Show announcements, notices, and relevant service information.
• Support bill/account information features where enabled.
• Operate staff tools (where authorised), including messaging and content management.
• Protect the App against abuse (rate limiting, fraud prevention, security monitoring).
• Meet legal, regulatory, and audit obligations applicable to DAWASA.

4. Legal basis / authority

We process personal data to provide water and sewerage-related digital services you request, to operate and secure our systems, and where required by Tanzanian law and applicable regulations governing public utilities and personal data protection.

5. SMS and third-party processors

OTP and some service notifications are delivered via SMS using government/approved SMS gateway services (for example MGOV / EGA Tanzania). Those providers process your phone number and message content only to deliver the SMS.

Hosting, databases, and related infrastructure used to run the App may process data on DAWASA’s behalf under our operational controls. We do not sell your personal information.

6. Permissions on your device

• Location — requested when reporting an issue with a map location; you can deny permission and still use other features.
• Camera / photos — requested only when you choose to attach an image.
• Network — required to communicate with DAWASA servers over HTTPS.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data only as long as needed for the purposes above, including service history, security, and legal retention requirements. OTP codes expire quickly. Sessions expire according to App/server settings. You may request account deletion (see below).

8. Security

We use administrative, technical, and organisational measures appropriate to the risk, including encrypted transport (HTTPS), access controls, hashed OTP storage, session controls, and rate limiting. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure; please protect your device and do not share OTP codes.

9. Your choices and rights

• Access or update profile information available in the App where supported.
• Delete your customer App account via Settings → Delete account (OTP-authenticated customers).
• Contact us to ask questions about your data or to raise a privacy concern.
• Withdraw optional permissions (location/camera) in your device settings.

Staff accounts are managed under DAWASA internal access policies and may not use the same self-service deletion path as customer OTP accounts.

10. Children

The App is intended for customers and authorised staff using DAWASA services. It is not directed at children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal data, contact us and we will take appropriate steps.

11. International transfers

Primary processing is for DAWASA operations in Tanzania. If any service provider processes data outside Tanzania, we take steps consistent with applicable law to protect that data.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top will change when we do. Continued use of the App after an update means you accept the revised policy, where permitted by law.

13. Contact

Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (DAWASA)
Email: info@dawasa.go.tz
Helpline: 181 / 0800 110 064
Privacy policy URL: https://damisapps.dawasa.go.tz/dawasaprivacypolicy