Notice to residents about irrigation, May 5, 2026

WATERING ALERT

The Venetian POA emailed the following important notice to all residents on May 5, 2026. Both the CDD and POA encourage residents to understand and abide by these restrictions until further notice.

Our community has had 572 watering violations at 82 properties on 84% of our streets in the last 45 days

NEIGHBORS, THIS IS SERIOUS.

Watering through your irrigation sprinkler heads, reclaimed water, is limited to one day a week. See attached Irrigation Schedule. Block II is turned off.

Please check or have your landscaper check your timers immediately.

Connecting a hose to city water is also limited to one day a week per the City of Venice website. Click HERE for Venice water schedule. Even house numbers may water on Tuesday and odd numbers on Thursday between the hours of 12:01 – 4 a.m. OR 8 p,m. – 11 p.m. Community Resource Officers with the Venice Police Department will begin issuing violation citations instead of warnings starting Monday, May 11. Tickets are $75 for the first offense and $175 for each subsequent offense. See the Venice city website for detailed information.

Per the Venetian CWS (Community Wide Standards), irrigation compliance is the homeowner’s responsibility. These violations are subject to a $100 per violation fine.

PLEASE CONSERVE WATER

**Additional general information is available from the Sarasota County website and the Southwest Florida Water Management District website. HOWEVER, the Venetian follows the City of Venice watering schedule for potable water. There is more detailed information about potable water on this website at Potable Water Restrictions in Force from April 3rd

Venetian Golf & River Club POA

COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION COMMENT

Please be aware that there are TWO issues being discussed above. Irrigation water is supplied by our community using reclaimed water from our ponds. This is subject to the “Irrigation Schedule” available through the link above. At the same time, the City of Venice is restricting the use of potable (City) water that you might use to wash your car or water your plants in addition to the normal irrigation. Please be aware of this distinction and the fact that there is a different schedule for each.

VGRC Brochure – Where Living is an Art

Download Page 1 of VGRC Brochure
Download Page 2 of VGRC Brochure

Residents Visit Venice Water Booster Station

On April 14th, residents visited Venice’s water booster station off Gene Green Road. The visit was sponsored by the VGRC Community Association and was very informative of the impact of the WBS to Venice, operations of utilities during an emergency, and the general strategy of water treatment and distribution in Venice. Residents appreciated the opportunity to visit the site, engage in a free-flow Q&A, and receive very knowledgeable information from city officials.

The main benefits of the WBS are stabilization of the water pressure levels and an increase in reliability pressure levels to facilitate firefighting water requirements. Go HERE to read the full article.

NFL Coach Seminar Postponed to June 16th

We are fortunate to have a current NFL Assistant Coach living in the VGRC who will be conducting an informal seminar as to what it is like to be in the big leagues of professional football. The seminar was originally scheduled for March 31st, but due to his scheduling conflicts, it has been changed to June 16th at 5pm. Flag it on your calendar.

Venice Water Booster Station Update

Venice City embarked on a project in 2020 to enhance the quality of potable water service and fire protection in the northeastern part of the city’s service area. This initiative aimed to potentially increase water pressure and flow during peak water demand periods for the entire service area. The project concluded in the Fall of 2025 with the construction of a water booster station on Gene Green Road.

Venice water utility engineers have meticulously optimized system operations citywide, resulting in NE Venice now experiencing pressure levels comparable to the rest of the city. According to Venice Utilities and the Water Booster Station (WBS) pressure sensors, every resident in Venice receives between 51 and 56 psi from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Overnight, from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m., the pressure is reduced to facilitate water storage tank refilling and maintain water quality throughout the system.

Beyond ensuring equitable and consistent water service for residents, the project has also led to an increase in water flow pressure during emergencies, significantly enhancing fire protection in NE Venice.

This improvement has resulted in improved water flow for hydrants in the area, thereby enhancing safety for everyone and providing better protection for the community.

According to the city, the station has significantly stabilized water pressure in the northern part of the city. Before activation, residents north of I-75 experienced daytime pressures ranging from 42 to 46 psi. Since the station came online, consistent readings by City Utilities have been recorded between 48 and 51 psi, with fluctuations limited to just 1 psi throughout the day.

Interestingly, many residents have reported no noticeable increase in water pressure since the WBS went online. According to Venice Utilities, this suggests that the issue may be related to private service lines in a home or internal plumbing.

If your home has water fixtures manufactured after January 1, 1994, they are mandated to be low-flow due to federal and state codes that came into effect around that time. Most high-flow fixtures were phased out by 1998, and if your house or renovations were permitted after 1994, you should have low-flow fixtures throughout. TheEnergy Policy Act of 1992 established these standards. While early low-flow fixture models occasionally had performance issues, designs improved significantly in the subsequent years. By 2007, the EPA WaterSense program further enhanced efficiency standards.

It’s also worth noting that not all low-flow fixtures perform identically. Factors such as age and design quality can significantly impact their performance. Additionally, having a water softener or treatment system can reduce water pressure in your home. It should be correctly sized, high-quality, and well-maintained. Industry experts and manufacturers generally cite a 2 to 5 psi drop as the standard for a residential water softener that is functioning optimally.

Additionally, “back flow preventers” installed in residents’ water systems prevent contaminated water from flowing backward into the potable water supply. While this system requires periodic maintenance (to remove grit), it is a service provided by the city. If you suspect an issue, especially if you notice noticeable drips from the pipes in your front yard, please contact Venice Utilities at (941) 480-3333.

Hurricane Preparation Checklist

As many of our seasonal residents begin preparing to leave for the summer months, we want to ensure everyone has the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding hurricane preparedness. Taking these steps now can greatly reduce potential damage and help safeguard your property while you are away. Please review the updated preparation reminders below:

Secure all outdoor furniture, umbrellas, grills, flowerpots, garden hoses, flag poles, and any items that could become projectiles during high winds.

Inspect your roof for any loose tiles and ensure no repair tiles are left unsecured on the roof.

Check your trees and remove any dead or loose limbs.

Hurricane shutters may be deployed when a watch or warning has been issued for Sarasota County, or earlier if authorized by the Property Manager and approved by the POA Board. Shutters must be those originally supplied with the home or those approved by the Architectural Control Committee under the Community-Wide Standards.

Inform your home-watch provider, neighbor, or designated contact of your departure date and share your updated contact information.

Inform your home-watch provider, neighbor, or designated contact of your departure date and share your updated contact information.

Keep an eye out for communications from Mary Rau-Foster and the Community Association Hurricane Response Team as the season approaches.

Potable Water Restrictions in Force from April 3rd

Due to extreme drought conditions,
watering restrictions have changed
in Venice City from
April 3rd.

This restriction impacts residents who use potable water for car washing, irrigate with a sprinkler connected to their potable water supply, or water plants in their garden or landscape using a water hose connected to the outside water faucet.

The drought is curtailing use to specific hours or days depending on your address, as detailed below. This is distinct from Venetian irrigation water.

The source for the potable water is the Venice Water Treatment Plant which is near the intercostal/Venice bridge at 200 North Warfield Ave.

Venice Utilities asks that we also limit use of irrigation water which is supplied to the VGRC via the Water Reclamation facility at 3510 East Laurel Road.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District, known as Swiftmud, says the region currently has a 13.7 inch rainfall deficit compared with the average 12 month total. Aquifers, rivers and lakes continue to decline and “public water supplies are extremely low for this time of year.

The most recent 12-month period (ending March 2026) has been significantly drier than normal. This follows a particularly dry calendar year in 2025, which saw only 37.75 inches total.

To track your household water usage, like everything else it seems, there is an app! See EyeOnWater and register. This app uses your water meter to gauge how much water you use by day, by week or by month. More significantly, it will alert you when you have a leak.

The changes for City residents are as follows:

Watering hours (sprinklers)
- BEFORE: Watering before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m., once per week
- NOW: Watering 12:01 a.m. to 4 a.m. OR 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m., once per week
Hand watering
- BEFORE: Any day, any time
- NOW: Any day before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
Vehicle/boat washing
- BEFORE: Once per week, any time
- NOW: Once per week, 12:01 a.m. to 4 a.m. OR 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
New lawns/landscaping
- BEFORE: First 60 days, any day during restricted hours
- NOW: First 30 days, any day during restricted hours, AND days 31-60, 3 days per week during restricted hours

Community Forum 2026

The VGRC Community Association presented “Community Forum 2026” on March 16, 2026 to a packed house at the Venetian River Club.

Information updates by Tom Jones concerning external developments outside the gates included:

Venice Crossings Shopping Center home to a Walmart and Home Depot to be constructed on Laurel Road
the Village at Laurel and Jacaranda across from the VGRC entrance,
two hotels being built nearby, one on Laurel Road and another on Pinebrook Road
the newly constructed Water Booster Station close to and northwest of the community, and
other issues in the city of Venice and Sarasota County.

Mayor Nick Pachota spoke on the Water Booster Station and issues related to water pressure for NE Venice, upcoming elections for seats on the council, the status of property taxes in the state, the new city Fire Station under construction on Venice Avenue next to the Police Department, and the need to either harden the city water treatment plant or move it elsewhere since it sits in a flood plain.

Dr. Joe Neunder, County Commissioner for District 4, spoke about the long awaited construction on Laurel Road for its widening to 4 lanes. He expects construction to begin by December of this year, although it could start sooner. Dr. Neunder also briefly described the strategic plan for the county, the budget and traffic issues in the city, as well as county preparations for hurricanes and the opening of Midnight Pass.

In addition to external developments, representatives from the CDD and the POA gave updates. CDD Vice Chairman Cheryl Harmon Terrana spoke on the newly hired amenity management company for the River Club, budget issues, staffing stabilization at the River Club, access to the community and the use of the Ciltadella Road exit There are no plans to upgrade this exit until the shopping center is open across the street. Finally, Cheryl discussed the need to update the irrigation system in the community. Barbara Silkworth of the POA described the need for volunteers for the HOA and POA boards and the committees. Barbara stressed the need to give the Venetian a “Wow!” factor by replacing landscaping, especially hardwood trees which were either destroyed by hurricanes and disease or were removed prematurely.

The highlight of the forum was the presentation of the Gratitude Awards to John Moeckel, Steve Thomaston, Pamela Henard and Nancy Spokowski. This was the third year that gratitude awards were presented to residents and has become the most rewarding feature of these annual gatherings. The true strength of a community like ours is found in the quiet, selfless actions of the people who live here. This award was created for those who make the community a better place to live.

For those who could not attend the forum in the River Club or the LaSala room, the Community Association organized a live TV presentation and a “Zoom” feature so that others could view the proceedings from outside the main dining room or from home. While the video quality was excellent, the audio was not. The reconstructed video with improved audio is available on our YouTube Channel. Click on the yellow card on the YouTube page to view the video.

The Community Association sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience or frustration to those residents who participated in the Zoom session and those in the LaSala room for the sound distortion of the presentations.

For those who wish to reference the various handouts used by Tom Jones for his presentation of external developments in the area during the video: