Prince William County 311 Marks One Year of Service, Expands Access and Capabilities 

May 15, 2026

 

One year ago, on May 15, 2025, Prince William County’s 311 system launched across four channels: web, mobile app, chatbot and live agent call center. Over its first year, the program expanded to include two additional channels: an after-hours AI voice agent and email-to-case. 

The 311 system was introduced to serve as a “front door” to county services, giving residents and customers the ability to connect with local government 24 hours a day, seven days a week, using their preferred method of communication. The county has seen significant use of its self-service options, including the web portal, mobile app, Will chatbot and after-hours services. By integrating advanced technology with dedicated human expertise, PWC 311 reached nearly 90,000 total interactions in its first year. 

At the center of the operation is the live agent call center, where dedicated analysts handled more than 40% of total interactions, answering 36,693 calls over the past year. The team maintained an average speed of answer of 12 seconds and an abandonment rate of 3%. This performance is supported by the county’s commitment to clear and accessible information. Over the past year, staff developed 1,119 knowledge articles, with 1,087 available for public use, helping both employees and residents quickly find accurate information. 

Data from the first year shows that the method of contact often shapes the type of request. Across all channels, general requests and trash, junk and debris concerns consistently rank among the most common. However, distinct trends emerge by platform: 

• Live agent analysts typically handle more complex, property-specific issues, with accessory structure approval concerns among the most frequent requests.  

• AI-powered tools serve as the first point of contact for high-volume informational needs.  

• Will, the AI chatbot, managed nearly 40,000 interactions, frequently assisting with tax administration and real estate inquiries.  

• Willow, the after-hours AI voice agent, introduced in summer 2025, handled 8,885 calls, addressing topics ranging from animal-related concerns to directing urgent issues to emergency services.  

• Web portal and mobile app users most often submit service and maintenance requests, including tall grass and weeds and abandoned or inoperable vehicles. Mobile users also tend to submit more specific concerns, such as overcrowding or unpermitted home businesses.  

 

In total, 6,924 service requests were submitted across all platforms, with more than 95% successfully completed. The results demonstrate that digital transformation enhances, rather than replaces, the human element of service delivery. 

Whether a resident calls during peak hours between 10 a.m. and noon or uses the mobile app to report a concern, county systems and staff work together to provide a seamless experience. 

To learn more about PWC 311 and track its progress, visit pwcva.gov/311. 

 

PWC 311: Year in Review 

May 15, 2025 to May 1, 2026 

Live Agent Call Center 

• 1119 Knowledge Articles created, 1087 publicly visible 
   

Figure 1: Knowledge Base Articles 

• 1712 service requests (SRs) opened by Call Center Analysts 

  • Top 5 SR Types: 

    • Accessory Structure Approval Issues (268) 

    • General Request (+188)  

    • Trash, Junk, and Debris Concerns (177) 

    • Interior Building Maintenance Issue (123) 

    • Report Tall Grass and Weeds (116) 

• 36,693 calls handled 

  • Average Speed of Answer: 12 seconds 

  • Average Handling Time: 1 minute 51 seconds 

  • Abandon Percentage: 3% 

  • Average Abandon Time: 15 seconds 

  • Busiest hour(s) 10AM to Noon 

  • Slowest hour(s): 8AM and 4PM 

Web Portal  

• 3005 SRs 

  • 1615 SRs by Web Portal 

    • General Request (420) 

    • Trash, Junk, and Debris Concerns (168) 

    • Report Tall Grass and Weeds (165)  

    • Report Illegal Parking on Grass or Dirt (106) 

    • Report an Abandoned or Inoperable Vehicle (81) 

  • 953 by iOS Browser 

    • General Request (409) 

    • Trash, Junk, and Debris Concerns (71) 

    • Report Tall Grass and Weeds (61)  

    • Mosquito & Pests Concerns (55) 

    • Report an Abandoned or Inoperable Vehicle (42) 

  • 437 by Android Browser 

    • General Request (168) 

    • Tied at 31 

      • Trash, Junk, and Debris Concerns 

      • Report Tall Grass and Weeds 

    • Report an Abandoned or Inoperable Vehicle (25)  

    • Mosquito & Pests Concerns (21) 

Mobile App 

• 173 SRs 

  • 151 by iOS app 

    • General Request (43) 

    • Trash, Junk, and Debris Concerns (22) 

    • Tied at 11 SRs

      • Report Tall Grass and Weeds 

      • Overcrowding Concerns 

    • Tied at 10 SRs 

      • Report Unpermitted Home Business 

      • Report an Abandoned or Inoperable Vehicle 

  • 22 by Android app 

    • General Request (8) 

    • Trash, Junk, and Debris Concerns (4) 

    • Tied at 2 SRs 

      • Report Unpermitted  Home Business 

      • Report Tall Grass and Weeds 

    • Car Tax (Personal Property) Inquiries 

Will AI Chatbot 

• 39,164 informational queries (did not result in a service request) 

• 896 Will SRs 

  • General Requests (467) 

  • Car Tax (Personal Property) Inquiries (248) 

  • Real Estate Assessment Information (41) 

  • Digital Library & Technical Support (35) 

  • Report a Hazardous Tree (29) 

• Top 6 Agencies queried 

  • Parks and Recreation 

  • Circuit Court 

  • Tax Administration 

  • Library 

  • Police 

  • Solid Waste 

Willow AI After-Hours Voice Agent 

• 8367 informational calls (did not result in a service request) 

  • 563 calls redirected to 911 or police non-emergency 

  • 563 successful directory conversations (phone number provided) 

  • 348 confusing or unclear caller messages 

  • 329 calls where the caller did not say anything 

  • 2900 calls where the caller disconnected when they heard Willow’s greeting 

  • 53 misdirected calls (for another jurisdiction) 

  • 39 requests for Spanish 

  • 565 animal-related calls 

  • 964 requests for live transfer 

  • 299 court-related calls 

• 518 calls that resulted in an SR 

  • 515 Willow SRs closed 

  • 412 were general requests 

Email-to-Case   

• 162 SRs resulted in new cases or were attached to existing cases 

Summarized Totals 

• Service Requests submitted: 6924 

• Total Web submissions: 3005 

• Total Mobile App submissions: 173 

• Service Requests closed: 6585 

Figure 2: Opened vs. Closed Agency-Defined SRs 

• Live agent calls handled: 36,693 

• Total Email-to-Case: 162  

• Total Willow AI Voice Agent calls handled: 8885 

• Total Will AI Chatbot interactions: 40,060 

Total served: 88,978* 

_{*As of May 1, 2026.} 

Figure 3: Total Interactions May 15, 2025 to May 1, 2026 

Figure 4: Top 10 Service Request Types in Year 1 

Figure 5: Top Requested Agencies in Year 1 

Neighborhood Services is far and away the most popular agency, but they also have the most SR types available with 311. It is no surprise 311 comes in second, with General Requests assigned to the 311 Operations team for triaging.  

 

Figure 6: Monthly Trend of Cases by Source (Cumulative) 

As you can see, Agent and Web have consistently been the most popular forms for SR intake.  

Report a Noise Ordinance Issue Service Request is Now Available!

May 1, 2026

 

Coinciding with the May 1, 2026 update to the Prince William County Noise Ordinance under Municode Chapter 14-4, a new service request is now available through 311 for reporting steady tonal noise violations. 

 

Please note that all other noise issues should still be reported through the Police non-emergency line at 703-792-6500. 

Spring 2026: New and Revised Service Requests!

April 9, 2026

 

Thank you for using 311! We have been hard at work since autumn 2025 to bring updated service requests based on lessons learned in our first year of service.

 

Starting April 9th, you will find the following service requests have been updated:

• Drainage & Flooding Issue: Added a new question

• Report a Hazardous Tree: Added new questions and changed the description

• Environmentally Protected Areas (formerly Request Resource Protection Area (RPA) or 100 Year Flood Plain Information): Changed the title and description, added new questions.

• Active Construction Site Concerns: Expanded the expected resolution window from 2 business days to 5 business days to provide a more accurate expectation.

• Overcrowding Concerns: Added two new questions

• Report Land Disturbance: Changed the description to better explain the purpose of the request.

• Interior Building Maintenance Issue: Added a new question with the type of issues that can be investigated for code violations.

• Trash, Junk, and Debris Concerns: Added a validation alert for trash in the road right-of-way to contact VDOT.

• Accessory Structure Approval Issues: Added a list of structures that can be investigated for code violations.

• Streetlight Inquiry: Added location requirement for magisterial district reporting for the Board of County Supervisors.

 

We are also introducing two new service requests based on many of the questions we've gotten through general requests and through Will, our chatbot, since our launch in May last year. The new requests are:

• Report Domestic Fowl in Residential Districts: Use this SR to report a resident keeping chickens or other domestic fowl (Doves, Quail, Pigeons, Ducks, Geese, Pea Fowl, Emu, Ostrich) within residential districts that are outside of the Domestic Fowl Overlay District.

• Report Unapproved Existence of a Second Kitchen or Wet Bar: Use this request to report a second kitchen or wet bar that has been built without zoning approval.

 

We hope the new and updated service enhancements make 311 even easier to use and even more helpful for Prince William County residents!

311 Presents Progress Update to Board of County Supervisors

February 10, 2026

 

Check out the update 311's team presented to the Board of County Supervisors on February 10, 2026 for information on how the program has done since launch in May 2025. 

PWC 311 Chosen for STATESCOOP LOCALSMART AWARD 2025!

December 8, 2025

The LocalSmart Awards honor the visionaries who transform local government to make a difference in citizens' lives. These awards celebrate the achievements and initiatives of those who work to make a lasting impact in cities, counties, and municipalities across the country. 

 

PWC 311 was one of five winners in the Local IT Innovation of the Year category. Check out all the winners here!

 

 

  

311 Launched!

May 15, 2025

 

Prince William County introduces PWC 311: A New Customer Service Platform that Quickly and Efficiently Connects the Community to Services and Support.

Check out the press release here!