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Energy East could threaten Winnipeg's water supply: report

A new report says a leak in the Energy East pipeline could threaten the drinking water of over 60 per cent of Manitobans.

The report was funded by the Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition and says a ruptured pipeline could seep into the Winnipeg’s waterways which feed the city’s water supply.

“There’s absolutely no replacement for water in sustaining life,” said Vicki Burns, of the Save Lake Winnipeg Project. “On the other hand we know that there are new technologies that will actually allow us to meet our energy needs without relying on fossil fuels.”

The project would carry oilsands crude to refineries on the east coast in Quebec and New Brunswick.

Part of the pipeline would run underneath an aqueduct carrying Winnipeg’s drinking water.

“We’re proceeding with the preparation of this project with safety at the top of mind, you know if we can’t do it safely we’re not going to do it,” Tim Duboyce, Spokesperson TransCanada Corporation.

– With files from the Canadian Press