WEF Privacy Policy

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This document outlines the privacy policy of WEF LLC, and details the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information gathered through various websites owned by WEF.

Effective Date: 7/2/2025

This WEF LLC (WEF) Privacy Policy describes our collection of information during your interactions with our Websites found at:

  • wef.org;
  • weftec.org;
  • accesswater.org;
  • resourcerecoverydata.org;
  • watereum.org;
  • waterisworthit.org;
  • jobbank.wef.org;
  • wefcom.org;
  • yearofpoo.org;
  • workforwater.org;
  • nwbe.org;
  • globalwes.org;
  • biosolidsresources.org;
  • wefppvl.org;

... and anywhere else this Privacy Policy may appear (our “Websites”), and the rights and choices you have regarding your information.

information collection  cookie and online tracking policy  use of personal information  disclosure of personal information  privacy rights and options  third party websites  information retention  security  changes to privacy policy contact us

I. Information Collection

When operating our Websites, WEF may collect data, including Personal Information about you. The types of information we may collect depends on your level of engagement with the Websites. “Personal Information” means information that can reasonably be linked to a particular individual or household.

Sources of Information Collection. We may collect Personal Information from a variety of sources, including directly from you and your interactions with our Websites. We may also obtain information about you from other sources, including through third-party services.

The Personal Information we may collect includes:

Information You Provide. We may collect identifiers and other information when you voluntarily provide it to us. This includes:

  • Name
  • Demographics
  • Phone number
  • Email
  • Payment Information
    • Please note WEF’s standard practice does not capture credit card account information online from purchases. Credit card payments are processed directly through a certified processor (i.e. Vantiv.com).  Items with auto-renew are encrypted directly with the processor. WEF does NOT store credit card information.
  • Any other identifiers or information you choose to provide
  • Career information
  • Location information
  • Quiz responses
  • Information about your membership, store purchases, event attendance, subscriptions, and other services
  • Contents of the message you provide us

Information Input into our AI Knowledge Assistant. We utilize Betty Knowledge Assistant to allow visitors to our Websites to ask questions and get information about our services. We will collect and process any information input into the Knowledge Assistant. Betty’s privacy policy can be found here: https://meetbetty.ai/privacy-policy.

Information We Collect Automatically. As you navigate through and interact with our Websites, we may use automatic data collection technologies to collect certain information about your equipment, browsing actions, and patterns, including:

  • Details of your visits to our Websites and other communication data and the resources that you access and use on the Websites; and
  • Information about your computer and internet connection, including your IP address, operating system, and browser type.

See our Cookie and Online Tracking Policy for more information on automatic data collection.

II. Cookie and Online Tracking Policy

We may use first party and third-party cookies on our Websites. Different cookies are used to perform different functions, explained below. A visit to our Websites could generate the following types of cookies:

  • “Strictly necessary” cookies, which are first party cookies that must be set to allow us to deliver the Websites and provide you with specific services.
  • “Performance” cookies, which are first party cookies that help us collect information about how visitors use our Websites and allow us to complete Websites analysis and improvements. Performance cookies will remain on your computer after you close your browser.
  • “Functionality” cookies, which allow our Websites to remember your choices or preferences. These cookies enable you to move around our Websites and use its features such as accessing secure areas (e.g. content for registered users) and allow us to offer you a personalized experience while using the Websites.
  • “Analytics” cookies, which allow us to see how you use our Websites.
  • “Third Party” cookies, which are deployed by third party partners.

Cookies stay on your device for different periods of time depending on the type of cookie that is placed. These include:

  • Session Cookies. We use session cookies, which are temporary cookies that remain on your device until you leave our Websites.
  • Persistent Cookies. We also use persistent cookies, which remain on your device for a longer period of time to remember your preferences.

Information collected from cookies includes:

  • IP address
  • Browser type
  • Browser settings
  • Device ID
  • Operating system
  • Cookie ID
  • Browsing history

Web Beacons. Pages of our Websites and our emails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags and single-pixel gifs) that permit us, for example, to count users who have visited those pages or opened an email and for other related statistics (for example, recording the popularity of certain Websites and verifying system and server integrity).

Pixel Tracking. In addition to using cookies, the Websites may employ “pixel tracking”, a common process which may be used in connection with advertisements on other Websites. Pixel tracking involves the use of pixel tags that are not visible to the user and consist of a few lines of computer code. Pixel tracking measures the effectiveness of advertisements and compiles aggregate and specific usage statistics. A “pixel tag” is an invisible tag placed on certain pages of Websites that is used to track an individual user’s activity. We may access these pixel tags to identify activity and interests that may allow us to better match our goods, services, and other offers with your interests and needs. For example, if you visit our Websites from an advertisement on another Websites, the pixel tag will allow the advertiser to track that its advertisement brought you to the Websites. If you visit our Websites, and we link you to another Websites, we may also be able to determine that you were sent to and/or transacted with a third-party Websites. This data is collected for use in our marketing and research.

Meta Pixel. We incorporate “pixels” provided by Meta Platforms, Inc. on our Websites. This enables us to track user behavior after a user clicks on a Meta ad and is redirected to our Websites. By doing so, we can assess the effectiveness of Meta ads for statistical and market research purposes and sometimes retarget certain users. Please note that the data collected through this process remains anonymous to us, meaning we do not have access to personal information of individual users. However, Meta stores and processes this data. It is important to be aware that Meta may associate this information with your Meta account and utilize it for its own promotional activities, in accordance with Meta’s own Data Usage Policy.

Google Analytics. WEF websites also uses Google Analytics to track anonymous data for the purposes of traffic analysis and advertising. Third party vendors, such as Google, display WEF advertising on their sites by using cookies to serve ads based on a user’s prior visits to our Websites. Users may opt out of Google’s use of cookies at any time by visiting the Google Advertising Opt-out page.

NextRoll. NextRoll is utilized by WEF for some online marketing activities, if you would like to learn more about NextRoll and the California Consumer Privacy Act, please click here.

GIF. We may use tiny images known as clear GIFs to track behavior of users, including statistics on who opens our emails.

How to Enable and Disable Cookies Using Your Browser

You can opt-out of cookie remarketing at any time by the following link: Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.

Most browsers allow you to manage cookie settings. These settings can usually be found in the ‘Settings’, ‘Options’ or ‘Preferences’ menu of your browser. The links below are provided to help you find the settings for some common browsers.

For all other browsers, please look for a “help” function in your browser or contact the browser provider.

III. Use of Personal Information

WEF may use Personal Information for a variety of purposes, including to:

  • Manage our business and provide our Websites. WEF may use Personal Information to facilitate usage of the Websites and otherwise manage our business and provide you with services. This may include to conduct research, implement our artificial intelligence tools, and provide membership services.
  • Communicate. WEF may use Personal Information to communicate important business information, including delivering notices to you about the use of our Websites.
  • Protect our business. WEF may use Personal Information to protect against fraud, unauthorized transactions, and other liabilities, and to secure our Websites by identifying potential hackers and unauthorized users.
  • Ensure security and efficiency and comply with the law. We may use Personal Information for other purposes with your consent or where permitted by law, for example to comply with applicable legal requirements, court orders, legal proceedings, document requests, industry standards, and our internal policies.

IV. Disclosure of Personal Information

We may disclose your Personal Information in the following ways and circumstances:

  • When you consent. WEF will disclose your Personal Information when you have granted your consent.
  • With our service providers and vendors. We may transfer all or a portion of your Personal Information to our service providers who help us deliver our Websites and our services to you and for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.
  • For a merger, acquisition, change in ownership, or reorganization. Data and Personal Information we have collected may be disclosed to a third party in the event of a merger, transfer of ownership or assets, bankruptcy, or other corporate reorganization.
  • Withdata analytics service providers.
  • When we are legally permitted or required to do so.

V. Your Privacy Rights & Options

United States Rights. Certain states in the U.S., e.g. California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia provide (now or in the future) their state residents with rights related to their Personal Information. Although some of these rights apply generally, certain rights will only apply to limited individuals or circumstances. To the extent that these laws apply, you may exercise the following rights: 

  • Right to Know and Access Information. Note that much of the information you are entitled to know or access is disclosed in this Privacy Policy. With this said, you have the right to know about our information practices. You also have the right to access the categories of data we collect, with whom we share or sell that information, and, in some cases, what specific Personal Information we associate with you or your account. 
  • Right to Data Portability. If you request a copy of your specific information then we will provide it in an easily accessible format.
  • Right to Deletion or Erasure. You may request that we delete the information we have collected about you. Depending on the applicable law, in some cases we are required or permitted to retain your information, even if you prefer that we delete or erase it. 
  • Right to Correct Information. You may request we correct or rectify inaccurate information about you.
  • Right to Opt-out of Targeting Advertising, Sales, or Profiling. You may opt-out of our use of your Personal Information for targeted advertising, sales, or profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects. We do not knowingly collect or sell information from children under the age of 16.

To exercise any of your privacy rights, contact us at the information provided within this Privacy Policy.

Appeal. If we deny your rights request, you have the right to request an appeal.  To initiate an appeal, follow the instructions provided in the communication denying your request, or contact us at privacy@wef.org. 

Non-Discrimination. We honor your rights listed in this section and will not deny access to our Websites or limit the quality of our Websites to those exercising their rights.

Email communications. You may control how you receive certain types of email communications by unsubscribing within the body of the communication. Note that some messages are required, service-related messages such as transaction confirmation messages, legal notices, or updates of which you may not opt-out.

Do Not Track Signals. DNT is a privacy preference you can set in your web browser to indicate that you do not want certain information about your webpage visits collected across Websites when you have not interacted with that service on the page. Because there is currently no industry or legal standard recognizing or honoring DNT signals, we do not recognize them.

VI. Third Party Websites

This Privacy Policy applies only to our Websites. Our Websites may contain links to other Websites including those that permit online transactions. We do not have control over the privacy practices or the content of any of our business partners, advertisers, sponsors, or other third parties we link to from our Websites. WEF does not endorse, approve, or certify these other Websites, and we do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, efficacy, or timeliness of the information contained on those Websites. You should check the applicable privacy policy of the Websites sponsor when linking to other Websites.

VII. Information Retention

WEF uses several criteria to determine how long to keep categories of Personal Information. We may retain your Personal Information for the time period reasonably necessary to achieve the business purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Please understand that residual copies of Personal Information can be stored in locations or formats that make complete erasure extremely difficult. The best way to ensure control of your information is to provide only Personal Information you are comfortable sharing.

VIII. Security

WEF takes reasonable steps to secure your Personal Information. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to ensure that any Personal Information maintained is stored and processed responsibly. However, no internet transmission is ever fully secure, and we cannot guarantee that information transmitted via our Websites will remain confidential at all times.

IX. Changes to Privacy Policy

We may occasionally update or change this Privacy Policy and post changes on our Websites with the effective date. Your continued use of services after changes are effective constitutes your acceptance of the Privacy Policy.

X. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at: privacy@wef.org

Cookie and Tracking Notice

WEF uses cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience, provide relevant content, and analyze our web traffic. Some members-only areas of our websites require the acceptance of cookies to function. If you disable cookies, these sections may not work properly. For additional information about cookies and how to disable them, please see our Privacy Policy.

Copyright Statement

The text, logos and images on this site are protected under the Trademark and Copyright laws of the United States, as well as other countries. Any downloading, reproduction or further distribution of any original material appearing on this Web site without prior written permission of WEF is strictly prohibited.

Requests to reprint WEF published material should be in written form and should specifically state the item(s) to be reprinted, the purpose, and distribution of the reprints. Requests for permission to reprint materials should be referred to the editor of the publication. The requests will be handled within the following guidelines:

  1. If the material is a minor excerpt from a larger work, a permission request will be routinely executed. WEF will review the material under its Fair Use Test and if it meets its criteria permission will be granted. WEF reserves the right to deny permission. The Fair Use Test, in summation, would examine (1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes, (2) the nature of the copyrighted work, (3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole, and (4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
  2. Blanket permission to publish titles and bibliographic information or abstracts will be granted, if the request or permission specifically excludes selling full-text copies, in either print or electronic formats, of the original work cited.
  3. Permission to use entire technical publications or conference proceedings will not be granted. A request to copy material in full and in bulk should be referred to WEF's Member Services Center and attention noted to the quantity purchase discount.
  4. Requests to reprint material exclusively in electronic format for use on the Internet or other electronic distribution will be evaluated by WEF according to the Fair Use Text set forth above in A). Generally, if an author of an article or conference paper would like to post the material on his/her company's home page for the purpose of public awareness, permission is granted. Conversely, if permission is requested to digitize substantial portions of a technical publication for use in a new publication or program, available on CD-ROM or the Internet, permission is denied.