The City of Carlsbad was honored last week by the San Diego County Taxpayers Association with the 2022 Golden Watchdog award in the Transportation, Utilities, and Infrastructure category for the city’s commitment to protecting the water supply through its new ACTION System.

In announcing the award, the taxpayers group said the city “has used innovative, out-of-the-box thinking to harness the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning to maximize the efficiency of their water pollution inspections and operations.”

• The ACTION (Automation, Compliance, Tracking, Inspection and Owner Notification) System is a comprehensive data management platform created by Carlsbad city staff to streamline and improve how the city manages its storm water protection program.
• The previous system was time consuming and complicated, involving six different software applications and significant amount of paperwork
• The Action System has

• Reduced the cost of the city’s inspection and verification program by 44%.
• Reduced the use of paper and files by 73% and the associated costs by 57%.
• Reduced staff time for verifications and inspections by 40%.
• Reduced the time it takes residents and business owners to complete and submit verification information by 75%. (They can now instantly update contact information and submit maintenance verification data electronically.)
• Saved the city between $100,000-$200,000 by eliminating the need to contract out inspection services.

More information
Watershed Protection webpage