The Manitoba government will no longer buy bottled water in containers smaller than one litre, unless there's no safe potable water around, Conservation Minister Bill Blaikie says.

And provincial government employees who buy bottled water with their own funds will be encouraged to avoid using bottled water while working in a government facility.

Blaikie made the announcement Tuesday, saying the government wants to show some leadership when it comes to environmental sustainability.Manitoba won't be buying plastic bottles under one litre in size. (CBC)

"We believe by taking this step we are leading by example and encouraging Manitobans to move away from using single-use bottled water," said Blaikie. "This also acknowledges the importance of Manitoba Sustainable Development Procurement Guidelines that clearly states purchases must be based on careful consideration of the good's impact on the environment."

The new policy bans the use of provincial funds to buy single-use bottled water in plastic containers with less than one litre of water when tap water that is safe for drinking is reasonably accessible. The policy includes an exception when safe drinking water is not available, for example, when forest firefighting crews in remote areas need water to drink.

The Manitoba Eco-Network supports the move. "The production, transport and recycling of single-use water bottles wastes energy and produces unnecessary carbon emissions," said network spokesperson Laurel McDonald.