Council authorizes $144,515 upgrade to wastewater plant communications and controls

The Atchison City Commission authorized staff to hire HOA Solutions to upgrade communications and controls at the wastewater treatment plant, approving a contract of $144,515 plus $3,000 in change‑order authority.

Staff said the plant’s supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA) and associated communications hardware are decades old, run on unsupported operating systems and are effectively end‑of‑life. Engineers and vendors warned that failing components could not be replaced or reprogrammed, posing both operational and cyber‑security risks.

HOA Solutions submitted the low proposal; staff noted Pedrini (a firm used previously) was also considered. The requested contract exceeds the 2025 wastewater CIP line ($120,000) by about $24,000; staff proposed offsetting the overage by reducing other annual CIP line items (for example, UV bulb replacement and downtown tree planting) so the overall CIP fund balance would remain neutral.

Staff said the controls upgrade will allow remote monitoring and control of treatment processes, reduce response times to equipment issues and could reduce overtime (weekend rounds) through improved automation. The commission approved the HOA contract and change‑order authority by voice vote.

Why it matters: SCADA and communications manage treatment operations; replacing unsupported systems reduces risk of service interruptions, cyber‑security vulnerabilities and cascading process failures.

Direct quotes and financial figures below come from the staff presentation and commission action.