Edinboro seeks $62,488 SCADA replacement after repeated controller failures

Borough Manager Neil Fratus told Council the borough is experiencing escalating failures in its SCADA control system and presented a Plant‑IQ replacement proposal priced at $62,488. "The total cost for that work is $62,488," Fratus said, adding that the failures have included motors showing RPMs while not running and an automatic valve that failed to close, creating a near‑overflow at the Sherrod Hill Tank.

Fratus said staff have been forced to run the plant continuously as a temporary workaround, increasing manual monitoring demands and operational inefficiency. He described the proposal as more than a computer swap: it would modernize PLCs at the plant, stripping tower and tanks, improve communications among facilities, and restore reliable automation so operators avoid constant manual intervention.

To pay for the project, Fratus recommended re‑allocating existing Water Department funds originally budgeted for potholing to identify lead service lines. He said alternative methods for identifying lead service lines have reduced the need for potholing, making the reallocation possible without increasing the Water budget. Council asked for ongoing updates as Plant‑IQ and borough staff develop a project timeline.