The Top 5 Reasons We Standardize on Allen-Bradley for Municipal Projects

When it comes to municipal infrastructure such as water, wastewater, lift stations, and public utilities, reliability, supportability, and long-term ownership matter more than novelty.

At Britton Electronics & Automation (BEA), we deliberately standardize on Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation) platforms for most municipal projects. This decision is not about brand loyalty. It is about reducing risk for our customers and ensuring systems remain serviceable for decades.

Below are the five core reasons we recommend Allen-Bradley as the standard for municipal automation

1. Local Support When It Actually Matters

Municipal systems do not fail on a convenient schedule.

Allen-Bradley has one of the strongest local distributor and support networks in North America. This provides faster access to replacement hardware, local technical support instead of distant call centers, and on-site assistance when time is critical.

When a lift station is alarming at two in the morning or a well is offline, local support is essential.

2. Long Product Lifecycles and Predictable Roadmaps

Municipal automation systems are not disposable.

Allen-Bradley products are known for long production runs, clear end-of-life notices, and documented migration paths. This allows municipalities to plan upgrades years in advance instead of being forced into emergency replacements due to discontinued hardware.

Predictability lowers lifecycle cost even if initial hardware pricing is higher.

3. Industry-Standard Training and Workforce Familiarity

Allen-Bradley is the most widely used PLC platform in North American municipal and industrial environments.

This makes onboarding new technicians easier, increases the number of available integrators and contractors, and ensures maintenance staff work with familiar tools.

Standardization reduces training costs and prevents systems from becoming black boxes that only one person understands.

4. Proven Reliability in Harsh Environments

Municipal control systems operate in real-world conditions that include heat, cold, moisture, vibration, electrical noise, and power disturbances. Many are installed in remote locations with limited access.

Allen-Bradley hardware has a long track record of surviving these environments with minimal downtime. When failures do occur, diagnostics are clear and recovery is straightforward.

Reliability is field-proven, not theoretical.

5. Clear Ownership of Code and System Design

At BEA, we believe the customer owns the system.

With Allen-Bradley platforms, code is accessible and well-documented, there is no proprietary lock-in to a single vendor, and multiple qualified integrators can support the system.

We write clean, structured logic so municipalities are never dependent on a single contractor to keep critical infrastructure running.

Standardization Is About Risk Reduction

Standardizing on Allen-Bradley is not about saying other platforms cannot work. It is about minimizing operational risk.

For municipalities, the real costs extend beyond hardware pricing. Downtime, emergency service calls, training gaps, and unsupported systems all add up quickly.

By standardizing on a proven platform, municipalities gain faster troubleshooting, lower long-term costs, and greater confidence in system longevity.

Our Commitment

BEA will always recommend what we believe is best for the customer, not what is cheapest or most convenient in the moment.

For most municipal applications, Allen-Bradley provides the strongest combination of support, reliability, and long-term value. That is why we standardize on it.