Ottawa's 3-1-1 line saw abandoned calls rise 54% in 2025 as wait times worsened, audit finds
An Ottawa auditor general audit found that 3-1-1 abandoned calls rose 54% from 2024 to 2025, and that a data error made the city's published wait-time figure look 5 minutes shorter than it actually was.
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The number of abandoned calls to Ottawa's 3-1-1 service line rose 54% in 2025, and a data error in the city's own reporting system made its average call wait time look about 5 minutes better than it actually was, according to the city's auditor general.
The Audit of 3-1-1, issued by Auditor General Nathalie Gougeon in September 2026, is scheduled to be tabled at City Council on November 3. It covered January 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026.
Call volumes and abandoned calls
3-1-1 received 457,524 calls in 2025, up from 447,281 in 2024, a 2% increase. The calls processed by agents dropped 8%, from 374,326 in 2024 to 345,437 in 2025. The number of abandoned calls, those where the caller hung up before an agent answered, rose from 72,955 in 2024 to 112,087 in 2025, a 54% increase.
Public emails to 3-1-1 rose 66%, from 18,405 in 2024 to 30,493 in 2025. Of 10 public emails reviewed, 6 missed the city's own 48-hour response standard, with delays in some cases reaching 35 days.
Online service submissions grew 37%, from 126,091 in 2024 to 173,300 in 2025.
The wait-time data error
The audit found a data error in how the city measured its average speed to answer (the time between a caller entering the queue and an agent picking up). The city had been reporting the figure for 2025 as 3 minutes 7 seconds. The auditor found the correct number was 8 minutes 17 seconds. The city revised its 2026 performance target to 7 minutes 52 seconds after the error was identified. By January and February 2026, the actual average speed to answer was 5 minutes 35 seconds, according to the report.
For context, the report notes Windsor sets a target of answering 75% of calls within 45 seconds, and Toronto sets a target of 80% within 75 seconds.
What agents told callers
The auditor listened to 30 sampled calls and found gaps in what agents communicated. In those 30 calls:
- 100% of agents did not tell callers why their personal information was being collected
- 50% did not give the caller a timeline for when their service request would be completed
- 50% did not mention online service options
- 83% did not tell callers they could check the status of their request online
- 30% did not collect the caller's email address
3-1-1 received 327,371 service requests in 2025. Solid waste services, by-law enforcement and roads maintenance together accounted for 65% of them.
Five recommendations
The auditor issued 5 recommendations, all agreed to by management. They cover stronger data quality controls to catch errors in performance figures, more consistent training and scripts so agents give callers the same information, better tracking of service timelines, improved promotion of online channels to reduce call volume, and closer monitoring of email response times. The audit report does not list implementation deadlines for these recommendations.
What residents can do
The full audit report is available through the Office of the Auditor General's website. City Council receives the report on November 3. Residents who want to follow the meeting can find the agenda at the City of Ottawa's meetings site at https://pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com/.
Questions this story answers
What did Ottawa's auditor general find about the 3-1-1 service?
The Auditor General's September 2026 report found that calls answered by 3-1-1 agents dropped 8% in 2025 while abandoned calls rose 54%, that a data error led the city to report a wait time nearly 5 minutes better than the real figure, and that agents routinely did not tell callers when their service request would be completed. The audit covered January 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026.
How many calls does Ottawa's 3-1-1 line handle?
3-1-1 received 457,524 calls in 2025, up from 447,281 in 2024, an increase of about 2%. Of the 2025 calls, 345,437 were processed by agents, down 8% from 374,326 in 2024. The number of calls that were abandoned before an agent answered rose from 72,955 in 2024 to 112,087 in 2025, an increase of 54%, according to the audit report.
What was wrong with Ottawa's reported 3-1-1 wait times?
The audit found a data error in the city's reporting system. The original figure published for 2025 said the average speed to answer was 3 minutes 7 seconds. The auditor found the correct figure was 8 minutes 17 seconds, a difference of about 5 minutes 10 seconds. The city revised its 2026 performance target to 7 minutes 52 seconds after the error was found. By January and February 2026, the actual average speed to answer was 5 minutes 35 seconds, according to the report.
How does Ottawa's wait time compare to other cities?
The audit report notes that Windsor's target is to answer 75% of calls within 45 seconds, and Toronto's target is to answer 80% of calls within 75 seconds. The report does not draw a direct comparison to Ottawa's results but uses the two cities to show what targets other municipalities have set.
What did auditors find when they listened to sampled calls?
In 30 sampled calls, the auditor found: 100% of agents did not explain to callers why personal information was being collected, 50% did not give a service timeline for the request, 50% did not tell callers about online service options, 83% did not promote the ability to check service request status online, and 30% did not collect the caller's email address. The audit covers calls from the January 2025 to February 2026 period.
How does 3-1-1 handle public emails?
3-1-1 received 30,493 emails from the public in 2025, up 66% from 18,405 in 2024. The audit sampled 10 public emails and found that 6 of the 10 missed the city's 48-hour response standard, with delays ranging up to 35 days in the cases reviewed. Online service submissions reached 173,300 in 2025, up 37% from 126,091 in 2024, according to the audit report.
What does the auditor recommend for 3-1-1?
The auditor issued 5 recommendations, all agreed to by management. They cover: data quality controls so that errors in reported performance metrics are caught sooner, clearer agent training and scripts so callers receive consistent information, better tracking of whether service timelines given to callers are met, improved use of online channels to reduce call volume, and stronger monitoring of email response times. No implementation deadlines are listed in the audit report.
When does Ottawa council receive this audit?
The auditor general's report is scheduled to be tabled at Ottawa City Council on November 3, 2026. Residents can follow council meetings at the City of Ottawa's meetings site at https://pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com/ and read the full audit at the Office of the Auditor General's reports page at https://www.oagottawa.ca/reports/audit-reports/.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- Ottawa Auditor General: Audit of 3-1-1, September 2026media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com
- Ottawa Office of the Auditor General: Audit Reportsoagottawa.ca
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