Three Technology Shifts Helping Public Works Teams Do More With Existing Resources

Public works, stormwater, and utility teams are expected to deliver reliable services, maintain accurate records, and meet growing documentation requirements, often without additional staff. Yet the information needed to do that work is frequently scattered across systems, and employees still spend significant time entering data, tracking down records, and coordinating follow-up tasks.

At the 2026 Forerunner Summit, Savannah Tini explored how emerging technologies can help agencies address these challenges without overhauling the systems they already rely on. Her session focused on three shifts: capturing more consistent field data, connecting information across systems, and automating administrative work. Together, these changes can help agencies turn existing data into more useful information and keep work moving from the initial observation through resolution.

Shift 1: From collecting data to capturing consistent data

An inspector documenting a stormwater inlet may take photographs, record visible conditions, and submit a form. However, if the description is incomplete or the photographs lack context, someone reviewing the record later may struggle to determine what the inspector observed or whether further investigation is needed.

Mobile forms have made field data collection easier, but they cannot always ensure that every employee documents the same conditions consistently. Differences in terminology, missing details, and incomplete records can create extra work for supervisors and complicate regulatory reporting.

Tini demonstrated how Forerunner's AI capabilities can help address these gaps while an inspection is underway. In one example, an inspector photographed an inlet, and the system generated a standardized description of a visible oily sheen. It also suggested when additional photographs might be needed to provide a more complete record. The inspector remained responsible for reviewing the description and determining what the observation meant.

The same approach can help identify inconsistencies before records are submitted. For example, a system could flag equipment listed on a work order that does not match the task being performed, giving staff an opportunity to correct the record before it creates problems downstream.

By incorporating documentation standards into fieldwork itself, agencies can reduce the need to correct records later and build a more reliable foundation for regulatory reviews, public records requests, and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) audits.

Shift 2: From separate systems of record to connected information

Consistent documentation is only part of the challenge. Even when a record is complete, it may not tell the whole story. An inspector who notices an oily sheen at an inlet needs to know whether it has appeared before, whether another team has already investigated it, and whether any work is underway.

That context may be spread across GIS, work order platforms, 311 systems, and shared document repositories. Without a way to bring the information together, staff must search across these systems and piece together the history themselves.

During the session, Tini demonstrated how the Forerunner AI Assistant could help an inspector answer a straightforward but important question: Was the oily sheen a recurring problem? The Assistant surfaced previous inspections alongside an active catch basin cleaning work order assigned to another team.

That additional context changed how the issue could be understood. Although cleaning the catch basin was already planned, the work would not necessarily address the underlying contamination. With the related records available together, the inspector could recognize that a different response might be needed rather than assuming the scheduled work would resolve the problem.

Connected information can also help staff determine what action to take next. Inspectors can use agency ordinances and procedures to prepare notices of violation in the field, with AI helping assemble the documentation. Staff must still verify the cited requirements and approve the notice before it is issued.

When information moves across systems, agencies can reduce duplicate effort, identify issues that require additional attention, and route work to the appropriate team. The benefit is not simply easier access to records, but a clearer understanding of what those records mean for the work ahead.

Shift 3: From manual processing to self-service and automation

Once an issue has been identified and the appropriate response determined, administrative processes can still slow progress. Staff may need to review submitted documents, enter information into internal systems, route records for approval, and respond to routine questions from residents, contractors, and consultants.

Public portals and automated workflows offer a way to reduce that burden while giving people a more direct way to submit information and engage with an agency.

In the session’s final demonstration, Tini showed how a contractor can submit an inspection report through a Forerunner public portal. Rather than requiring staff to manually review the attached PDF and transfer its contents into internal records, Forerunner processed the document, summarized its findings and recommendations, checked them against agency procedures, and created and routed the relevant records.

This example illustrated how several administrative steps can be connected into a single process. Information enters through the portal, AI helps extract and organize the relevant details, and the workflow moves the resulting records to the appropriate place. For lengthy reports, automating document processing and record creation can save staff considerable time.

The agency still retains responsibility for regulatory decisions. AI supports document review and workflow coordination, while staff remain accountable for evaluating the information and approving decisions. This approach allows agencies to reduce repetitive administrative work without handing over their authority or relying on additional headcount to manage growing workloads.

Evaluating AI for regulated public work

Across all three demonstrations, the underlying principle was consistent: technology is most useful when it fits into established processes and helps staff perform their work more effectively. For public works agencies, however, adopting AI also requires confidence that its outputs are accurate, traceable, and appropriate for regulated environments.

Tini recommended starting with small pilots, keeping people involved in approvals, and learning from other public agencies. She also highlighted the GovAI Coalition, which brings public sector organizations together around AI governance, and APWA’s technology committee, which is working on guidance for evaluating emerging tools.

Tini outlined practical questions agencies should consider when assessing an AI solution. Can it use the agency’s own ordinances, procedures, permits, and records? Can staff trace an answer back to its supporting sources? Does it work with information collected in the field? Agencies should also evaluate data storage, existing user permissions, auditability, and security controls.

These considerations are especially important when AI supports inspections, compliance documentation, or other work with regulatory implications. Rather than operating as a black box alongside existing processes, AI should function within the agency’s established rules, documentation standards, and oversight.

Building capacity for work that requires expertise

Tini’s three technology shifts point to a practical way for public works teams to improve operations without replacing their existing systems or expanding their workforces. More consistent field documentation creates better records; connecting those records with related information helps staff understand what is happening and determine the right response, and automating administrative steps then makes it easier to move that response forward.

The value of these changes extends beyond the time saved on individual tasks. When staff spend less time correcting records, searching across systems, and manually processing submissions, they have more capacity to investigate problems, apply their expertise, and serve their communities.

Watch the full session: