Winnipeg's brown water turns tap on at water businesses

Winnipeg's brown water problem has people turning to the bottle - the water bottle.

Two World of Water stores are reporting a spike in their business because of the city's discoloured water.

Shane MacKeil, who works at the store on Dakota Street, said business is way up.

"I have seen quite a few people coming in, asking to buy coolers, and buy water," he said. "New customers, not just old customers. And I would say our cooler sales are up by at least 100 per cent."

Sammy Mittelstadt said people are pouring into his store on Keewatin Street, as well.

"New custumers [are] buying coolers, [or] renting coolers. [They are] signing up for water delivery." he said.

Mittelstadt said he is also getting large orders from local businesses, such as bakeries.

"We've got companies calling us saying we need 30, 40 bottles," he said. "They need it for the operation of their business. Definitely, they are incurring a lot of costs."

Two Winnipeg restaurants also said they bought bottled water to avoid using discoloured water, but they didn't want to be named.