Athens, OH rainwater: 33,032 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in Athens, OH
33,032gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Athens, OH's normal 41.6 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Athens, OH 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 Athens Ou station (0.3 mi away). Athens, OH ranks 111th wettest of the 176 cities covered in Ohio.
Month by month in Athens
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.89 | 2,297 | |
| Feb | 2.94 | 2,337 | |
| Mar | 3.57 | 2,837 | |
| Apr | 3.78 | 3,004 | 71 |
| May | 4.20 | 3,338 | 19 |
| Jun | 4.50 | 3,577 | |
| Jul | 4.34 | 3,449 | 1 |
| Aug | 3.16 | 2,512 | 148 |
| Sep | 3.18 | 2,527 | 146 |
| Oct | 2.93 | 2,329 | 177 |
| Nov | 2.91 | 2,313 | |
| Dec | 3.16 | 2,512 |
Jun is the wettest month (4.50 in, 3,577 gal off the roof); Jan the driest (2.89 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 Athens?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 450 gallons to the garden in a normal year (80.0% of its need).
If you set one up, a 55-gallon barrel with a downspout diverter is the whole job. Check that the overflow points away from your foundation, because most of Athens's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 450 | 31,337 |
| 110 gal | 450 | 31,337 |
| 165 gal | 450 | 31,337 |
| 275 gal | 450 | 31,337 |
| 550 gal | 450 | 31,337 |
| 1,000 gal | 450 | 31,337 |
| 1,500 gal | 450 | 31,337 |
| 2,500 gal | 450 | 31,337 |
| 5,000 gal | 450 | 31,337 |
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 Ohio?
Legal. Ohio regulates rainwater cisterns used as a drinking-water source as private water systems (OAC chapter 3701-28): local health department permit, continuous disinfection and filtration. No state rule restricting non-potable collection or storage size.
Checked against the current source on 2026-11-06. Source