Fayette

County Health Department officials are continuing

to work with Chariots of Fire Ministries in hopes

of solving the organization's septic tank

problems, environmental health director Rick Fehr

said this week.

Fehr

said Bishop Luther Graham, director of the

ministry, has hired soil scientists and engineers

to work on the problem, and health officials are

expecting a report on the findings soon.

The

ministry, which helps homeless people get back on

their feet, moved into a home on Ga. Highway 138

early this year. Since then, the ministry has

been plagued by problems with its septic system

that remain unresolved after the old system was

replaced.

Neighbors

have complained of sewage leaking out of the

system and running down the street, and health

officials have ordered the ministry to correct

the problem or face having its water turned off.

Graham

last month asked the Fayette County Commission to

allow him to tap onto Clayton County's sewerage,

which is available next to the ministry's

property, but commissioners refused, saying the

county's policy is to discourage use of sewerage

in unincorporated areas, for fear of increasing

residential density.

Fehr

said officials are hopeful that soil scientists

can find a location for a new septic system that

will work, but it's likely that even if they do,

it will be a smaller system than the ministry

needs.

"We

may have to limit the number of gallons of

usage," he said.

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