Water Main Break Closes Laurel Road In Venice: Sarasota County

VENICE, FL — A water main break has shut down Laurel Road in Venice and low water pressure is expected in the area, according to a Sarasota County news release.

A directional drilling contractor bored into a 42-inch water 42-inch water transmission main line from the Mabry T. Carlton Water Treatment Facility, which serves county water customers, Thursday evening.

Sarasota County Public Utilities staff were able to locate and temporarily stabilize the water main break, the county said. County staff and an emergency repair contractor are on site at Laurel Road at Ancora Boulevard.

Laurel Road is closed to all traffic while crews are excavating to make repairs.

The water main will also be shut down so repairs can be completed, the county said. Repairs should take about 24 hours.

Once the water main is closed, county water customers could see lower than normal water pressures. Multistory buildings will be affected the most by the reduced pressure, the county said. Residents are asked to minimize water usage while repairs are being made.

The county’s regional water partners are assisting the county while the repairs are being made. The shared potable water interconnect between the city of North Port and the county has been opened to help support the southern portion of the service area.

The Peace River Authority is providing additional water while the Carlton plant and water main are offline. The city of Venice is also isolating their water mains to allow the repairs to proceed as expeditiously as possible.