People are furious about where Wal-Mart gets the water it sells
The company sources the water for its "Great Value" brand from Sacramento's municipal water supply, according to labeling on the gallon jugs, CBS Sacramento reports.
"Sacramento sells water to a bottler, DS Services of America, at 99 cents for every 748 gallons - the same rate as other commercial and residential customers," according to the report. "That water is then bottled and sold at Walmart for 88 cents per gallon, meaning that $1 of water from Sacramento turns into $658.24 for Walmart and DS Services."
California residents are facing mandatory water rationing as the state enters its fourth year of a record-breaking drought. Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed an executive order calling for a 25% urban water reduction statewide.
"It's certainly leaving a bad taste in everyone's mouth when you can't fill up a swimming pool, if you're building a new home in West Sacramento; you can't water your lawn if you're living in this region. And to find out they're making a huge profit off of this, it's just not right," public relations expert Doug Elmets told CBS Sacramento.
Starbucks also recently came under fire for sourcing water from California. The company was forced to find a new supply after a public backlash.
A Walmart spokesperson told the Guardian that the company is "very concerned" about how the drought is affecting customers and associates.
"We share those concerns and are tracking it closely," the spokesperson said. "Our commitment to sustainability includes efforts to minimize water use in our facilities. We have and continue to work with our suppliers to act responsibly while meeting the needs of customers who count on us across California."
We reached out to Wal-Mart for comment and will update when we hear back.
Here's what people are saying on Twitter.