Every year, Covenant College spends about $60,000 operating deteriorating sewer lines from the Krupski Loop residential neighborhood, located a few minutes south of the college along Scenic Highway.

Covenant is currently working with the city of Lookout Mountain, Ga., and Dade County Water and Sewer Authority (DCWSA) on a proposal that would rid the school of this expensive responsibility and resolve a host of problems for the residents of the Krupski subdivision.

Under the current proposal, the city council of Lookout Mountain has agreed that if Covenant and DCWSA can raise enough money to repair the damaged Kruspki subdivision sewer lines and tie them directly into the city’s own sewer infrastructure, then the city will take on ownership and operations of the Krupski sewer lines.

The estimated cost of these repairs is $533,000. As of December 2, $450,000 of that has been raised. Covenant first put forward $150,000 for the effort, and the DCWSA has since pledged $50,000. Another $250,000 has been raised through a combination of state and federal grants, largely due to the efforts of Angela Steedley, a grant writer employed by the college for this purpose.

Residents of the Krupski subdivision have been dealing with sewage problems stemming from the deteriorating lines for over 20 years, but until now, no lasting solution to the issue has ever been solidified.

“For too long everyone has accepted the status quo of this situation,” said Dade County Executive/Chairman Ted Rumley, who has been involved in planning the switchover. “People have got to think about the situation of the people living in the subdivision. The sewer problem is detrimental and unsanitary, and this planned changeover has got to happen now.”