Clarksville, IN rainwater: 40,575 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in Clarksville, IN
40,575gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Clarksville, IN's normal 51.1 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Clarksville, IN 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 Jeffersonville 0.8 Nw station (1.9 mi away). Clarksville, IN ranks 2nd wettest of the 88 cities covered in Indiana.
Month by month in Clarksville
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.55 | 2,822 | |
| Feb | 3.55 | 2,822 | |
| Mar | 4.52 | 3,593 | |
| Apr | 5.41 | 4,300 | |
| May | 5.25 | 4,173 | |
| Jun | 5.31 | 4,220 | |
| Jul | 4.24 | 3,370 | 14 |
| Aug | 3.59 | 2,853 | 95 |
| Sep | 4.12 | 3,275 | 29 |
| Oct | 3.65 | 2,901 | 87 |
| Nov | 3.89 | 3,092 | |
| Dec | 3.97 | 3,155 |
Apr is the wettest month (5.41 in, 4,300 gal off the roof); Jan the driest (3.55 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 Clarksville?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 181 gallons to the garden in a normal year (80.7% of its need).
Before you buy, a 55-gallon barrel with a downspout diverter is the whole job. Check that the overflow points away from your foundation, because most of Clarksville's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 181 | 39,089 |
| 110 gal | 181 | 39,089 |
| 165 gal | 181 | 39,089 |
| 275 gal | 181 | 39,089 |
| 550 gal | 181 | 39,089 |
| 1,000 gal | 181 | 39,089 |
| 1,500 gal | 181 | 39,089 |
| 2,500 gal | 181 | 39,089 |
| 5,000 gal | 181 | 39,089 |
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 Indiana?
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