Beacon, NY rainwater: 39,073 gallons off a roof
How much rain a roof in Beacon, NY collects
39,073gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Beacon, NY's normal 49.2 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Beacon, NY 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 Beacon 4.2 Ese station (4.1 mi away). Beacon, NY ranks 23rd wettest of the 90 cities covered in New York.
Month by month in Beacon
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.39 | 2,694 | |
| Feb | 2.99 | 2,376 | |
| Mar | 3.77 | 2,996 | |
| Apr | 3.73 | 2,965 | 77 |
| May | 3.94 | 3,132 | 51 |
| Jun | 4.54 | 3,608 | |
| Jul | 4.60 | 3,656 | |
| Aug | 4.91 | 3,902 | |
| Sep | 4.76 | 3,783 | |
| Oct | 4.67 | 3,712 | |
| Nov | 3.46 | 2,750 | |
| Dec | 4.40 | 3,497 |
Aug is the wettest month (4.91 in, 3,902 gal off the roof); Feb the driest (2.99 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 Beacon?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 97 gallons to the garden in a normal year (75.5% 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 Beacon's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 97 | 37,730 |
| 110 gal | 97 | 37,730 |
| 165 gal | 97 | 37,730 |
| 275 gal | 97 | 37,730 |
| 550 gal | 97 | 37,730 |
| 1,000 gal | 97 | 37,730 |
| 1,500 gal | 97 | 37,730 |
| 2,500 gal | 97 | 37,730 |
| 5,000 gal | 97 | 37,730 |
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 New York?
No statewide rainwater harvesting regulations; check county for local incentives
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