Cleveland Heights, OH rainwater: 26,499 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in Cleveland Heights, OH
26,499gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Cleveland Heights, OH's normal 33.3 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Cleveland Heights, 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 Cleveland Burke Ap station (6.3 mi away). Cleveland Heights, OH ranks 169th wettest of the 176 cities covered in Ohio.
Month by month in Cleveland Heights
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.76 | 1,399 | |
| Feb | 1.53 | 1,216 | |
| Mar | 2.35 | 1,868 | |
| Apr | 3.10 | 2,464 | 156 |
| May | 3.51 | 2,790 | 105 |
| Jun | 2.84 | 2,257 | 188 |
| Jul | 3.66 | 2,909 | 86 |
| Aug | 3.45 | 2,742 | 112 |
| Sep | 2.94 | 2,337 | 176 |
| Oct | 3.24 | 2,575 | 138 |
| Nov | 2.92 | 2,321 | |
| Dec | 2.04 | 1,621 |
Jul is the wettest month (3.66 in, 2,909 gal off the roof); Feb the driest (1.53 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 Cleveland Heights?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 745 gallons to the garden in a normal year (77.5% 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 Cleveland Heights's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 745 | 24,644 |
| 110 gal | 745 | 24,644 |
| 165 gal | 745 | 24,644 |
| 275 gal | 745 | 24,644 |
| 550 gal | 745 | 24,644 |
| 1,000 gal | 745 | 24,644 |
| 1,500 gal | 745 | 24,644 |
| 2,500 gal | 745 | 24,644 |
| 5,000 gal | 745 | 24,644 |
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