Vermilion to replace water-plant SCADA system after automatic Windows upgrade corrupted software; $326,000 proposal presented

The city’s service director told the Vermilion City Council on Nov. 10 that an automatic Windows 11 upgrade on Oct. 8 corrupted the water-plant SCADA control software, forcing staff to perform manual grab sampling and seek a vendor to repair or replace the system.

Service Director Tommy Valerius said contractors determined the unannounced Windows upgrade corrupted SCADA software, and Ohio EPA required grab samples every four hours and weekly updates while the system was offline. Valerius said the city obtained a proposal from Wiring Unlimited to update and replace the SCADA system for $326,000 and instructed the contractor to proceed.

Valerius explained that SCADA normally records filter turbidity every 15 minutes and produces daily reports; with the system down, staff reverted to manual monitoring and reporting. He said the city had anticipated the upgrade in its capital plan and that the Ohio EPA expects weekly progress reports while the replacement is carried out.

Council members asked technical questions about how an automatic OS upgrade reached a system that was said to be isolated from the city network, and whether the plant’s computer had been connected to a guest or vendor network. The service director and others said the SCADA component had historically been managed by the vendor for security reasons and not by the city’s internal IT team.

Financial context: Valerius said the replacement proposal totaled $326,000. Council and the finance director noted planned funding and that appropriation modifications related to capital purchases were on the agenda. The finance director later explained funding sources and the need for appropriation adjustments related to the ladder-truck purchase and other end-of-year transfers.

What happens next: the contractor was authorized to proceed with the SCADA replacement proposal, and Ohio EPA was notified of the corrective actions and will receive weekly updates. Council asked staff to continue coordinating with IT and the vendor to reduce future operational risk.

Quotes from the meeting:

• Tommy Valerius (service director): “Microsoft had performed an automatic and unannounced upgrade to Windows 11, which corrupted our SCADA software.”

• Hendricks (finance director): explained enterprise funds are permitted to plan and fund long-term capital needs and outlined appropriation adjustments under consideration.

The council moved on to other agenda items after the service director’s report and placed related appropriations and ordinance readings on the consent/regular calendar.