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Walmart sourcing bottled water from drought-hit California

Walmart is showing disregard for the people of California by sourcing some of its Great Value bottled water from a California city hit hard by the state's four-year draught.

The world's largest retailer is coming under fire for sourcing its Grand Value brand bottled water from Sacramento, California's water supply, sparking complaints from citizens who are currently facing water restrictions. Petitions against Walmart's foul water practices have already collected over 11,000 signatures, demanding that the company source its water elsewhere.

Other large companies such as Starbucks have already agreed to stop sourcing its private brand bottled water in California.

Despite the bad publicity, Walmart does not seem inclined to follow Starbuck's example.

"The drought in California is very concerning for many of our customers and our associates,"  said Walmart spokesman John Forrest Ales in a statement. "We share those concerns and are tracking it closely. Our commitment to sustainability includes efforts to minimize water use in our facilities."

Perhaps in an effort to reduce its water use in its facilities, Walmart recently closed five of its U.S. stores due to what the company is calling "severe plumbing problems", effectively laying off 2,200 workers in the process.