STAR LAKE — The hamlet’s recent difficulties with its water system could indicate a widespread problem that needs addressing.

“It proves we’re on the right page of doing an assessment of the system,” town of Fine Supervisor Mark C. Hall said.

Two months ago, the Town Council contracted with the Development Authority of the North Country to issue a request for proposals to review Star Lake’s water filtration plant and look for funding to improve the water system.

“This is probably a 10-year process,” Mr. Hall said.

On July 14, the needs of the system became obvious. It was firemen’s weekend, usage was up because of all the people in town and the summer has been dry. The 200,000-gallon water tank, which also needs work, was not full when the system went down.

“Ten people watering their lawns kills my water system,” said Mr. Hall, one of two certified operators. “I couldn’t keep up.”

The system lost pressure and the search began to find what Mr. Hall believed at the time was a catastrophic problem. Eventually, two leaks were found, a task made more difficult because of the lack of pressure. A firetruck was used to fill the tank.

Although the leaks contributed to the problem, Mr. Hall believes it was also a combination of over-use and lack of capacity that caused the failure.

“My big problem is volume,” he said. “In the summer, I can’t filter enough water.”

The town is still advising the owners of the 900 properties who use Star Lake water to conserve.

Water district users pay an annual fee of $250, but that likely will rise depending on what engineers recommend. Water meters also will be considered, Mr. Hall said.

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