City of Venice Utilities Open Houses – Lead & Copper Survey & Eye on Water Enrollment

The City of Venice Utilities Department is hosting two open houses to assist customers in completing the Lead & Copper Survey and signing up for Eye on Water.

Utilities staff will be available at the following locations and times:

  • Wednesday, May 7, 2025, from 3 PM to 6 PM Fire Station 1 Community Room, 112 S. Harbor Drive, Venice, FL 34285
  • Saturday, May 10, 2025, from 10 AM to 1 PM Community Hall (within City Hall), 401 West Venice Avenue, Venice, FL 34285

In accordance with Environmental Protection Agency regulations, the Utilities Department is conducting an inventory of potable water service materials that may contain lead or copper. To aid in this effort, the City is requesting customers to self-report their water service materials by August 31, 2025 via this link.

For assistance in completing the survey, call the Utilities Department at (941) 480-3333 or visit one of our open houses.

Additionally, the Utilities Department recently launched Eye on Water, a new online portal that allows City Utilities customers to monitor their water usage and set up leak notifications. The application is available on both computers and mobile devices. Customers can sign up at www.eyeonwater.com and watch this instructional video:

Stop by one of City open houses to learn more about your water or wastewater system, get assistance with the survey, or enroll in Eye on Water. The Utilities team looks forward to speaking with you and answering your questions as we work together to protect and improve our Utilities.

New 2025 Hurricane Guide & Important Dates

The Venice 2025 Hurricane Guide from the City has been completely revised from past years.

This year’s Hurricane Expo will be held on Friday, May 30th at the Venice Community Center at 9 am. Our own Hurricane Response Team has been invited by the city to have an informational table at the Expo.

The Venetian’s Annual Hurricane Community Meeting coordinated by the Hurricane Response Team (HRT) has been scheduled for Monday, June 2nd, 5 pm at the River Club. With the start of the hurricane season on June 1st plus the “Mother Nature“ experience that this community encountered last hurricane season, it is strongly recommended that residents attend this highly beneficial meeting. 

Avoid Expensive Water Bills with Eye On Water

Have you ever discovered a running toilet after it cost you hundreds of dollars? You’re not alone — and the City of Venice has made it easier to prevent this from happening again.

The solution is Eye On Water, a free app available on either the App Store or the Google Play Store.  Once registered, you will be able to see your water usage.  That capability is available on your computer as well at eyeonwater.com. Once you register using your name, address, and water account number, you’ll be able to monitor your water usage daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. Most importantly, you can set up leak alerts to catch problems early — before they become costly.

There are over 17,000 water meters within the city limits, and each one communicates directly with the city. If a flow above the alert you choose (such as one gallon per hour) is detected for every hour over a 24-hour period, the system can detect it and send you an alert — making this tool especially valuable for part-time residents who aren’t always around to spot issues and who don’t wish to shut their water off when away for an extended period. It appears you can set alerts for less than one gallon per hour if desired.

The city will begin promoting the app soon, and there may be classes at City Hall on how to use it. In the meantime, the Community Association is happy to help you get started — just contact us at vgrccaweb@gmail.com.  

Or you can watch a video on how to install the app here.

Beware of Sandhill Crane Crossings

It’s that time of year!   These Sandhill Crane parents are showing off their young – called Colts while observing the crosswalk on Padova. Peak egg-laying period is February to March. They nest on mats of vegetation in wetlands with shallow water.

Two subspecies of Sandhill Crane occur in Florida. The Florida Sandhill Crane numbering 4,000 to 5,000, is a non-migratory year-round breeding resident. They are joined every winter by 25,000 migratory Greater Sandhill Cranes, the larger of the two subspecies. In the VGRC we mostly encounter the Florida Sandhill Cranes.

Two eggs are normally laid. Cranes are monogamous breeders. Within 24 hours of hatching, the young are capable of following their parents away from the nest.  These colts are probably a week old.  Click here for more information on Sandhill Cranes.

Thanks to Rick Cordner for another outstanding contribution! As Rick writes, we have our Abbey Road, too.

Rare Bird Alert in the VGRC! Great White Herons!

What’s odd about the birds in this nest?   The parent is a Great Blue Heron – Blue Morph.  The two chicks are White Morphs (subspecies) which are very rare for this part of Florida.  Both parents are Blue Morphs which makes it even more intriguing.   Some recessive genes at work.

Photos by Nancy Edmondson   

The birds have now fledged but return to the nest in the evenings hoping for one last handout from their parents.  Golfers might see them from the 12th tee – the two islets to the east.   Let’s hope they return next season!

These rarities were first discovered by Marnie Briggs, VGRC resident and local Birder and reported to the birding community via the eBird Rare Bird Alerts messaging.  Rick Cordner led small groups of A-list birders to the site with the permission of the local homeowners – we are grateful to their support.  Thanks to Rick Cordner for this contribution.

City of Venice Newsletter for May 2025

Please enjoy the May edition of the Venice City E-News by clicking on the link below. Navigate the City’s e-newsletter by using the left and right arrows on your keyboard, or flip to the next page by using the arrows on the viewing screen. Explore additional resources and information by clicking on hyperlinks.  Click here for May 2025 City of Venice Newsletter.

Community Association Board Meeting to be held Monday, May 19th

The next VGRC Community Association Board meeting will be held at the River Club on Monday, May 19 at 10 am. Residents are welcome to give their views!