The industries employed an estimated 170 people. Most of the businesses in Ringgold 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 Ringgold County. There is no use for power production in Ringgold County. Mining Water Use Mining in Ringgold 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 28.5 percent of wells tested for nitrates exceeded the recommended maximum. These results are based on non-random samples. The University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory, Private Well Water Quality, 1990-1994.