This article has been updated on Nov 7th.
The City of Venice Utilities Department has provided timely information regarding the recently constructed water booster station. The station has been operational for two weeks, with scheduled operations from 6 am to 1 pm and 5 pm to 11 pm. These operations are part of a trial period to assess the equipment requirements, chemical balances, and other factors needed to support the booster station.
In our area (Northeast Venice), the normal water pressure is approximately 45 PSI. However, during peak periods, the PSI fluctuates significantly due to increased demand. The Utilities Department reports that the PSI has increased by about 5 PSI (ranging from 48 to 51 PSI) when the booster station is running. More notably, the PSI remains constant during peak periods, which was one of the primary objectives of the station’s construction.
Residents have reported that the water pressure in their homes has not increased despite the recent construction of a water booster station nearby. We will continue to gather information to keep residents informed. If you notice any deviations in your water pressure, either higher or lower than normal, please record them over time. Additionally, we would appreciate your experiences and feedback by emailing vgrccaweb@gmail.com, the email address for the Community Association website.
The Venice Water Booster Station, which has been under construction for two years, has received clearance from the Department of Health to operate its tank and pumping system. The City has been filling the ground storage tank with fresh drinking water.
While originally forecast to be operational in early 2025, integration of the booster system software infrastructure into the Venice water system and supply chain issues have delayed some earlier expectations that the system may be operating in the spring of 2025. We expect another month before you may notice an increase in pressure.
The increase pressure will result in increased flow at our fixtures. However, the extent of the impact on our water bills will depend on how much each water fixture is used. For most people, the increase in a bill will be negligible.
View is looking south into the Venetian.
The primary driver for the construction of a water booster station was that the city has but one water treatment plant serving approximately 26,000 residents and growing, from its location near the Intracoastal Waterway. The new Water Booster Pump Station (BPS) is located on the northern portion of an approximately 40-acre City-owned parcel at the eastern end of Gene Green Road adjacent to Sarasota County’s Dona Bay Surface Water Storage Facility.
The booster station was originally intended to begin construction in 2021; however, a protest and subsequent rebidding process set construction back several years. See HERE for project plan documentation by the City.
The construction includes a 2-million-gallon tank, a solar field, and water pipelines buried in a covered trench along the Perimeter Road to the north. The top of the above-ground storage tank will not exceed approximately 30’ above the existing grade. The facility is designed to allow a second 2 million-gallon tank and two additional booster pumps to be constructed on site if NE Venice continues to experience the significant growth in population we have seen over the last two decades.
An emergency interconnect with Sarasota County’s potable water system was within the Booster Station project work. However, the time needed to secure easements for construction of the interconnect is taking longer than anticipated and the interconnect will need to be constructed as a separate project in the near future. A landscaped berm on the south side of the facility will be built to shield the new facility from view. Overall, the project cost is estimated to be $23.5 million.
The operations building can function as an emergency operations center for water in the event there is a loss of FPL main power. Solar power supplements the FPL feed. Emergency power is supplied by a large diesel powered generator with sound attenuating enclosure. Noise generation is below ambient noise according to modeling. The pipelines along the Perimeter Road are 16” potable water mains.
The photos are recent. During some days over the next week or two, we may experience a decrease in pressure when the booster pumps are turned off to troubleshoot issues and test various scenarios as the technicians continue to fill the 2-million-gallon ground storage tank at a couple hundred gallons per minute.
A 9-foot high landscaped berm will be constructed as shown on the rendering above to further screen the facility from neighboring residential communities.
The main benefits NE Venice residents will likely see are:
- More consistent water pressure throughout the day, especially during daily peak demand periods.
- A couple psi of additional peak pressure being available during low demand periods.
- Higher pressures for homes and buildings having 2nd-floor water fixtures that don’t already have private booster pump systems installed.