After years of seeking approval, a Milwaukee suburb is finally set to start pulling millions of gallons of water a day from Lake Michigan to replace its polluted water supply.

156-YEAR-OLD SUNKEN SCHOONER IN LAKE MICHIGAN FOUND INTACT WITH WELL-PRESERVED ARTIFACTS

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday that the city of Waukesha in September will start diverting up to 8.2 million gallons of lake water per day to serve as its public water supply. The city plans to return treated wastewater to the lake via the Root River, resulting in what the DNR is calling a minimal net water loss.

Wisconsin Fox News graphic

Waukesha, Wisconsin, will soon be able to source millions of gallons of water from Lake Michigan each day.

The city asked regulators in 2010 for permission to withdraw the water because its groundwater wells are contaminated with radium. The city is under a court order to find a solution.

GROUNDWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS TO ADDRESS 'FOREVER CHEMICALS' PLANNED NEAR MICHIGAN MILITARY BASE

A compact between the Great Lakes states and Canadian provinces Quebec and Ontario generally prohibits diversions of water outside the Great Lakes basin but makes exceptions for communities in counties that straddle the basin's boundaries. Waukesha County fits that exception.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Only the states were given legal authority to consider requests for U.S. water diversions. They approved the city of Waukesha's request in 2016. The Wisconsin DNR issued final approval for the diversion in 2021.