If you live in O'Fallon and rely on a private well, or you want to understand the annual water report your provider sends, radium is one line worth knowing how to read. Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive element. It forms as uranium and thorium break down in rock, and it can move into groundwater that passes through those formations. Because it comes from the ground rather than from pipes or treatment chemicals, you cannot see, smell, or taste it, so testing is the only way to know what is in your water.
What the Public Water Report Tells You
Public water systems serving O'Fallon monitor for a range of substances and publish the results each year. When you open the report, find the radium entry in the table of detected or monitored contaminants. Check three things: the measured result, the standard the system is compared against, and the date the sample was taken. The result describes the system's water at that time, the standard is the level regulators set for comparison, and the date tells you whether the number reflects recent conditions.
If a result is above its standard, the system is generally required to notify customers and explain what it is doing about it. Read that notice carefully and follow any instructions it gives. If a term in the report is unclear, call the water provider and ask for a plain-language explanation. Write down the name of the person or office you spoke with and the date of the call so you have a record.
Why Private Wells Need a Closer Look
Water from a private well in and around O'Fallon comes from groundwater, and deeper bedrock wells are more likely than shallow wells to contain naturally occurring radium, gross alpha, and uranium. Gross alpha is a screening measurement that reports total alpha emitting activity in a sample. A result that prompts concern usually leads to more specific testing for radium, and uranium is tested separately. Shallow wells are more often tested for nitrates and bacteria, so ask the lab which parameters your well needs rather than assuming one test covers everything.
How to Test a Well for Radium
The no-cost or low-cost screenings offered through the MO State Public Health Lab cover coliform, E. coli, and iron bacteria. For radium and gross alpha, plan on a certified commercial laboratory, and confirm what that lab offers before you order. Ask these questions when you call:
- Is the laboratory certified to analyze drinking water for radiological parameters?
- Which containers, preservatives, and sample volume do you require?
- What is the maximum time between collection and analysis?
- Do you measure the two main radium isotopes separately, and do you also offer gross alpha and uranium?
- How will results be reported, and will they show the detection limit?
Collect the sample exactly as the lab directs. Let the water run only as long as the instructions say, fill the container to the marked level, and label it with the date, time, and source. Decide before you start whether you are testing raw well water or water after a treatment device, because the two answer different questions. Write that choice on the label and in your records.
Deciding What Comes Next
A test result does not automatically point to one device. Several approaches are used to reduce radium, including ion exchange and reverse osmosis, and each has different requirements for maintenance, disposal of spent media or reject water, and retesting afterward. The right approach depends on your full water profile, including hardness, iron, and any other results, so keep the complete lab report and any earlier tests together.
Before you choose equipment, have a qualified water professional review your results and ask for a written explanation of what each option will and will not address. If you are on the public system in O'Fallon, your annual report is your starting point. If you are on a private well, your lab results are the starting point. In either case, keep dated records so your next call to a provider or lab is quick and specific.