The industries employed an estimated 5,929 people. Most of the businesses in Marion County purchase their water from a PWS or obtain their water from a private supply not requiring a permit. There are three water use permits for industry in Marion County. There is no power production in Marion County. Mining Water Use Mining in Marion County consists of sand and gravel extraction.
Activity varies from year to year based upon construction needs.
Three 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 show that in an average year 26.5 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.