Ames, IA rainwater: 30,560 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in Ames, IA
30,560gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Ames, IA's normal 38.5 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Ames, IA a single barrel does most of the work. Storms come often enough that a small tank refills before it runs dry, and a bigger one would mostly sit full.
Rainfall: NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, the Ames 1.5 Nne station (1.3 mi away). Ames, IA ranks 9th wettest of the 41 cities covered in Iowa.
Month by month in Ames
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.03 | 819 | |
| Feb | 1.30 | 1,033 | |
| Mar | 2.30 | 1,828 | |
| Apr | 3.77 | 2,996 | 72 |
| May | 5.38 | 4,276 | |
| Jun | 5.11 | 4,061 | |
| Jul | 4.96 | 3,942 | |
| Aug | 4.48 | 3,561 | |
| Sep | 3.58 | 2,845 | 96 |
| Oct | 2.90 | 2,305 | 181 |
| Nov | 2.04 | 1,621 | |
| Dec | 1.60 | 1,272 |
May is the wettest month (5.38 in, 4,276 gal off the roof); Jan the driest (1.03 in). Garden shortfall is what a 200 sq ft vegetable bed needs beyond the rain that lands on it, April to October.
Barrel or cistern in Ames?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 278 gallons to the garden in a normal year (79.6% of its need).
If you buy one, a 55-gallon barrel with a downspout diverter is the whole job. Check that the overflow points away from your foundation, because most of Ames's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 278 | 29,232 |
| 110 gal | 278 | 29,232 |
| 165 gal | 278 | 29,232 |
| 275 gal | 278 | 29,232 |
| 550 gal | 278 | 29,232 |
| 1,000 gal | 278 | 29,232 |
| 1,500 gal | 278 | 29,232 |
| 2,500 gal | 278 | 29,232 |
| 5,000 gal | 278 | 29,232 |
Simulated storm by storm through a normal year using the station's count of days with 0.1 in or more of rain each month.
Is rainwater collection legal in Iowa?
No rainwater harvesting regulations
From the 2015 (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory report 24347); not yet re-checked against current law, so check with your state water agency before building anything large. Source