Due to extreme drought conditions,
watering restrictions have changed
in Venice City from
April 3rd.
The interpretation is that this restriction, as mentioned in the Venice pamphlet below, impacts residents
who use potable water for car washing,
who irrigate with a sprinkler connected to their potable water supply, or
who 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.
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