MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — A glass of refreshing peach Bellini served in a plastic cup. For Manitou Winery Owner Eric Wilks, it's a must to conserve and stay open.
"Usually I would be doing a whole flight of glasses for all of the tastings that a customer would have," said Wilks.
Wilks says most of the water use making these local wines happens in the cleaning process, so for now, he's put production on hold.
"I've got a bunch of empty buckets back there and this would kind of be my time to get that ball rolling," said Wilks.
Wilks said a prolonged water emergency could especially hurt volume later in the summer.
"Everything takes at least two to four months to really produce and have ready. So... any of these weeks of me hesitating can put a damper on my schedule," he said.
A few blocks away, Flowers and the Moon was staying open throughout the week as owner Jen Barrow was working on a big wedding order.
"For us, this one's a little bigger than most," said Barrow. "If everything comes back online the way it's supposed to, we'll be just fine. We won't miss a step."
Tuesday, Barrow said she had very little issue watering plants because all of her leftover water gets reused.
"We try to use every little bit of water as much as we can. We don't want to waste anything," said Barrow.
Barrow says re-purposing leftover water is a habit she picked up growing up in the California desert. It just so happened the water she always saves is helping her get through this week.
"Central Valley California has been in a drought since I was born it feels like. So, we grew up conserving water," said Barrow. "I hope people take this seriously, because we're all in it together."
Barrow said she tries to conserve everything in her shop and encourages her customers to do the same.
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