Privacy Policy
WaterAnswer.com is a static informational website. We keep data collection as close to zero as we can. This page explains what happens when you visit, in plain language.
What we collect directly
There are no user accounts, comment forms, or newsletter signups. The water system lookup tool accepts location information as described below. If you email us, we receive the information you choose to send.
Water system lookup tool
The lookup tool uses a ZIP code, street address, city, utility name, or browser location to help identify your water utility. Your browser sends ZIP codes to Zippopotam.us (api.zippopotam.us) and address searches or location coordinates to OpenStreetMap Nominatim (nominatim.openstreetmap.org). Using “Use My Location” requests your browser’s permission to access your location; you can enter a ZIP code instead.
The tool does not save a lookup history in a WaterAnswer database. Submitted values appear in the page URL, however, and may remain in your browser history or hosting request logs. Avoid sharing a lookup URL containing your address or coordinates. The services receiving requests also receive technical information such as your IP address and handle it under their own privacy practices. See the OpenStreetMap Foundation privacy policy and the Zippopotam.us service website. Hosting is described below.
Hosting and server logs
This site is served through Cloudflare. Like nearly every host, Cloudflare processes technical information about requests to the site, such as IP address, browser type, and pages requested, to deliver content and protect against abuse. That processing is governed by Cloudflare’s privacy policy. We do not receive or store personal profiles from it.
Analytics
We may use privacy-focused, cookieless analytics (such as Cloudflare Web Analytics) to count page views and understand which guides people find useful. This kind of analytics does not use cookies, does not fingerprint your device, and does not track you across other websites.
Cookies
This site does not set cookies itself. If that changes, for example when advertising launches, this page will be updated first and a consent banner will appear where the law requires one.
Affiliate links
Some product links on this site may be affiliate links now or in the future. If you click an affiliate link, the retailer or its affiliate network may set cookies on their own site to attribute the sale. That happens on their domain under their privacy policy, not ours. Affiliate relationships never change what we recommend. Our review policy explains how products are selected.
Advertising
We may display ads served by a third-party advertising network in the future. When ads go live, the ad network and its partners may use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your visit, such as pages viewed, approximate location, and device details, to show and measure ads. Where required by law, a consent banner will let you accept or decline that data collection. This section will be updated with the specific ad partner and a link to its privacy policy before advertising launches.
Children’s privacy
This site is written for adults making household decisions and does not knowingly collect any information from children under 13.
Your rights
If you have a question about information you have sent us, contact us. For information handled by the hosting and lookup services described above, consult those services’ privacy information.
Changes to this policy
We will update this page when our practices change and adjust the date at the top. Significant changes, like launching advertising, will be reflected here before they go live.