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While Californians are being required to cut back on water usage during the drought, Walmart is making big money off of bottling the state’s water.
The “Great Value” brand of bottled water from the company comes from Sacramento’s municipal water supply, according to labeling on the gallon jugs. And, as CBS Sacramento reports, they make a sh*t ton doing it:
“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 Wal-Mart for 88 cents per gallon, meaning that $1 of water from Sacramento turns into $658.24 for Wal-Mart and DS Services.”
A Walmart representative told The Guardian that the company was “very concerned” about California’s drought and how it was affecting customers and the store’s associates.
“We share those concerns and are tracking it closely,” the representative 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.”
Starbucks recently moved the company’s Ethos brand water bottling out of California after similar media reports.
