The industries employed an estimated 445 people. Most of the businesses in Calhoun County purchase their water from a PWS or obtain their water from a private supply not requiring a permit. There are no water use permits for industry in Calhoun County. There is no power production in Calhoun County. Mining Water Use Mining in Calhoun County consists of sand and gravel extraction.
Activity varies from year to year based upon construction needs.
Two water permits were issued for mining in the county. The Iowa State-Wide Rural Well Water Survey, 1990. The UHL's test results for the county also show that in an average year 6.0 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.