1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your web browser when you visit a website. Local storage and session storage are similar browser technologies that allow websites to store data locally on your device. These technologies help websites function correctly, remember your preferences, and provide a better user experience.

2. Our Approach

Hydroscape-Group takes a privacy-first approach. We have deliberately designed our platforms to avoid the use of non-essential cookies. We do not use:

• Analytics cookies (no Google Analytics, no Hotjar, no Mixpanel)
• Advertising or remarketing cookies
• Third-party tracking cookies
• Social media tracking pixels
• Any cookies that profile your behaviour across websites

Because we only use strictly necessary and security cookies, a simple informational consent notice is displayed on your first visit. Your acceptance is stored locally and you will not be asked again on the same device.

3. Cookies and Storage We Use

The following table lists all cookies and browser storage used across our platforms. All are classified as strictly necessary for the services to function.

3.1 Hydroscape Hub (www.hydroscape-group.co.uk)

Name / Type	Purpose	Duration	Category
Service worker cache	Caches app files for offline access and faster loading. No personal data stored.	Until cache is cleared or updated	Strictly necessary
Local storage (form queue)	Stores unsent sighting reports when offline. Data is submitted and cleared when connectivity returns.	Until sync completes	Strictly necessary
Local storage (cookie consent)	Records that the user has seen and accepted the cookie notice. Contains no personal data.	Persistent until cleared	Strictly necessary
reCAPTCHA Enterprise (_GRECAPTCHA)	Set by Google reCAPTCHA Enterprise as part of Firebase App Check. Used to verify that form submissions come from genuine users and not automated bots. Contains no personal data and is not used for tracking or advertising.	6 months	Security

3.2 Admin Hub (hub.hydroscape-group.co.uk)

Name / Type	Purpose	Duration	Category
Firebase Auth session token	Authenticates the admin or client user. Managed by Firebase Authentication SDK. Contains no personal data — only a cryptographic token.	1 hour (auto-refreshed while active)	Strictly necessary
Session storage (portal context)	Stores client portal routing state (e.g. which tool to display). Cleared when the browser tab closes.	Browser session only	Strictly necessary
Service worker cache	Caches app files for faster loading.	Until cache is cleared or updated	Strictly necessary

3.3 HydroTasks (tasks.hydroscape-group.co.uk)

Name / Type	Purpose	Duration	Category
Firebase Auth session token	Authenticates the user for project access and real-time sync.	1 hour (auto-refreshed while active)	Strictly necessary
Service worker cache	Caches PWA shell for offline access. Essential for use on sites with poor mobile signal.	Until cache is cleared or updated	Strictly necessary
Local storage (UI state)	Stores map preferences, last viewed project, and UI settings.	Persistent until cleared	Strictly necessary

3.4 Pricing Portal (hs-pricing.hydroscape-group.co.uk)

Name / Type	Purpose	Duration	Category
None	The pricing portal is a static HTML page. It sets no cookies and uses no local storage.	—	—

4. Third-Party Cookies

When you use our authenticated platforms (Admin Hub or HydroTasks), Firebase Authentication may set cookies on Google-owned domains (e.g. firebaseapp.com) to manage your session securely. These are first-party authentication cookies essential for the login process to function and are not used for tracking.

If you make a payment via Stripe (contractor subscriptions), Stripe may set its own cookies on the Stripe checkout page. These are governed by Stripe's Privacy Policy and are used solely for fraud prevention and payment processing.

No other third-party services used by our platforms (Brevo, Slack, Google Maps, Gemini AI) set cookies in your browser. These services are called server-side from our Cloud Functions and have no client-side presence.

5. How to Manage Cookies

Since we only use strictly necessary cookies, disabling them may prevent our platforms from functioning correctly. However, you can manage cookies through your browser settings:

• Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies and other site data
• Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
• Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies

You can also clear local storage and service worker caches through your browser's developer tools (usually F12 → Application tab).

6. Changes to This Policy

If we introduce any new cookies or storage mechanisms, we will update this policy and the "Last Updated" date above. If we ever introduce non-essential cookies (which we have no plans to do), we will implement a consent mechanism before setting them.

7. Contact

See also: Privacy Policy