The industries employed an estimated 3,788 people. Most of the businesses in Wapello County purchase their water from a PWS or obtain their water from a private supply not requiring a permit. There are four water use permits for industry in Wapello County. Currently there is one water use permit issued for power production in the county, which utilizes over 252,000 million gallons per year. Mining Water Use Mining in Wapello County consists of sand and gravel extraction.
Activity varies from year to year based upon construction needs.
One water permit was issued for mining in the county. The Iowa State-Wide Rural Well Water Survey, 1990. The UHL's test results for the county show that in an average year 16.5 percent of wells tested for nitrates exceeded the recommended maximum. These test results are based on non-random samples. The University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory, Private Well Water Quality, 1990-1994.