Milwaukee suburb to begin pulling millions of gallons a day from Lake Michigan

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Milwaukee suburb is finally set to start pulling millions of gallons of water a day from Lake Michigan after years of seeking approval. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday that the city of Waukesha in September will begin diverting up to 8.2 million gallons of lake water per day to serve as its public water supply. The city asked regulators in 2010 for permission to withdraw the water because its wells are contaminated with radium. The Great Lakes states approved the request in 2016 under a regional compact which prohibits diversions across the Great Lakes watershed. The state DNR granted final approval in 2021.