If you have a water softener in St. Peters, a home test kit can show you what is in your water before and after treatment. Kits range from simple strips to mailed lab samples, and each one measures different things. Knowing which test answers which question saves time and keeps you from ordering results you do not need.
Start With the Public Water Report
St. Peters tap water comes from a public system, and the local water quality report is free to read. Public water reports describe the water in St. Peters as hard, and they list other items such as TTHMs, HAA5, and chloride and sodium. A report covers the water leaving the treatment plant, not necessarily the water at your kitchen sink after it moves through your home's pipes. Use the report as your starting point, then decide whether you need a test of your own.
Hardness Test Kits
Hardness is the most common reason homeowners test. Strip-style kits and drop-count kits give a rough reading of how much calcium and magnesium is present. They are useful for checking whether a softener is doing its job and for judging whether the regeneration schedule still fits your household. Test on more than one day, and test at a tap that is not right next to the softener, so the reading reflects the water you actually use.
Sodium and Chloride Tests
Softened water adds sodium, and chloride can be high in some local supplies. Home kits for chloride and sodium exist, though many homeowners send a sample to a certified lab for a fuller panel. If you are watching sodium for a diet reason, ask your doctor or a dietitian what that means for you. This guide does not make health claims. A test tells you what is in the water, not what effect it has on your body.
Bacteria Tests for Private Wells
If your home runs on a private well, a bacteria test is the first test to order. Coliform bacteria show up in some shallow wells and in septic-dense areas nearby. Samples go to a state-certified lab, and you should collect them in the lab's own bottle, following the lab's instructions. Do not reuse an old bottle or a kitchen container. Send a sample before you install or change any treatment, because a water softener is not a disinfection system.
Radium and Uranium in Deeper Wells
Some deeper aquifers in the region contain radium and uranium that occur naturally. Groundwater near the former Weldon Spring chemical and ordnance site has a documented uranium presence in its alluvial groundwater. If your well is in that general area, or your well log shows a deep groundwater source, ask a certified lab for a radionuclide test. A standard softener is not designed to handle these substances, so testing first matters.
What Home Kits Usually Cannot Tell You
Most consumer kits do not measure disinfection byproducts such as TTHMs and HAA5. These form during treatment, and they are tracked through the public report rather than a home kit. A softener does not remove them, so the public report is the right place to check their status.
A Simple Testing Order
- Read the current St. Peters water quality report.
- If you have a softener, test hardness at the softener inlet and at a nearby tap.
- If you are on a private well, order a bacteria test first.
- If your well sits near the Weldon Spring area or draws from a deeper aquifer, add a radium and uranium test.
- Record each result with its date so you can compare readings after any change.
Keeping Your Records
Write down the kit type, the date, the tap you tested, and whether the softener had recently regenerated. A simple notebook or a note on your phone works well. When you compare results over time, you can see whether a change in the softener, the plumbing, or the source water made a difference. If a lab report comes back with a result you do not understand, ask the lab to explain it in plain terms before you decide what to do next.