El Reno, OK rainwater: 27,453 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in El Reno, OK
27,453gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under El Reno, OK's normal 34.5 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In El Reno, OK 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 El Reno 1 N station (0.6 mi away). El Reno, OK ranks 35th wettest of the 45 cities covered in Oklahoma.
Month by month in El Reno
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.93 | 739 | |
| Feb | 1.17 | 930 | |
| Mar | 2.43 | 1,931 | |
| Apr | 3.06 | 2,432 | 161 |
| May | 5.16 | 4,101 | |
| Jun | 5.61 | 4,459 | |
| Jul | 3.23 | 2,567 | 140 |
| Aug | 3.30 | 2,623 | 131 |
| Sep | 3.03 | 2,408 | 165 |
| Oct | 3.00 | 2,384 | 168 |
| Nov | 2.13 | 1,693 | |
| Dec | 1.49 | 1,184 |
Jun is the wettest month (5.61 in, 4,459 gal off the roof); Jan the driest (0.93 in). Garden shortfall is what a 200 sq ft vegetable bed needs beyond the rain that lands on it, April to October.
What size rain barrel for El Reno
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 660 gallons to the garden in a normal year (86.4% 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 El Reno's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 660 | 26,043 |
| 110 gal | 660 | 26,043 |
| 165 gal | 660 | 26,043 |
| 275 gal | 660 | 26,043 |
| 550 gal | 660 | 26,043 |
| 1,000 gal | 660 | 26,043 |
| 1,500 gal | 660 | 26,043 |
| 2,500 gal | 660 | 26,043 |
| 5,000 gal | 660 | 26,043 |
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 Oklahoma?
Encouraged through state legislation: Water for 2060 Act
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