Council chiefs have began the painstaking task of exhuming bodies from Ayr Cemetery.
The first of 126 lairs affected by water ingress was accessed on Monday as part of works which are expected to last until March next year.
World-renowned exhumer, Peter Mitchell, is leading the team carrying out the delicate process.
Bosses at South Ayrshire Council have set aside £2 million to deal with the crisis but fear that cost may rise even further.
Mitchell, who once oversaw a project to remove 15,000 bodies from St Pancras in London during the completion of a new train station, will work on site six days per week.
He has spent the last two months working on a solution to stop chambers at the Holmston Road cemetery from being affected by water ingress.
Council bosses now believe they have found a long-term fix to the problem, meaning burials can take place at Ayr Cemetery for another 15 years.
Bodies currently being exhumed are being taken to a specialist facility beside Prestwick Airport where they will be prepared for reinterment in new coffins.
A source close to the operation told Ayrshire Live: "The council has been given assurances that a fix has been found for the water ingress issues.
"This is evidently of little consolation to those currently affected but it gives the council some clarity on where it is going from here on."
Speaking to the Ayrshire Post earlier this summer, Mr Mitchell said: "Where this project differs is the fact that these people have all died relatively recently. We have bereaved families who are still in pain from their bereavement, and who would never have dreamt it would be necessary or desirable to exhume their loved one.
"It's not something that they want to happen and it's very distressing to even contemplate that your loved one is going to moved.
“It is also very distressing to think that your loved one is potentially submerged in water. That is the key difference between this and many other exhumations and projects.”
A council spokesperson said: "The works to resolve the issues at Ayr Cemetery extension are ongoing.
"We know this is an extremely distressing time for those families affected and we are doing everything we can to support them. We will continue to liaise with families directly throughout."
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