Clayton County residents have a chance to voice their concerns over a request for water usage increase by a mining company. Pattison Sand Company in Clayton County is asking the state for permission to nearly quadruple the amount of water it uses annually. People in the area fear an increase to that water usage could put their private wells in jeopardy. Right now Pattison sand is permitted to use just under a billion gallons of water each year, that’s about how much water the Google data center in Council Bluffs uses. If the DNR approves Pattison Sand’s permit, it would use several times the water of those data centers. That would make it one of the top water users in Eastern Iowa. The DNR’s deadline for written comments is May 27th. After that, the DNR has up to 60 days to review the application and look into people’s concerns.
