Kingston, NY rainwater: 36,760 gallons off a roof
How much rain a roof in Kingston, NY collects
36,760gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Kingston, NY's normal 46.3 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Kingston, 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 Rosendale 2 E station (6.2 mi away). Kingston, NY ranks 48th wettest of the 90 cities covered in New York.
Month by month in Kingston
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.56 | 2,830 | |
| Feb | 2.58 | 2,051 | |
| Mar | 3.74 | 2,973 | |
| Apr | 3.57 | 2,837 | 97 |
| May | 3.14 | 2,496 | 151 |
| Jun | 4.48 | 3,561 | |
| Jul | 4.30 | 3,418 | 6 |
| Aug | 4.54 | 3,608 | |
| Sep | 4.58 | 3,640 | |
| Oct | 4.76 | 3,783 | |
| Nov | 3.25 | 2,583 | |
| Dec | 3.75 | 2,981 |
Oct is the wettest month (4.76 in, 3,783 gal off the roof); Feb the driest (2.58 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 Kingston?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 200 gallons to the garden in a normal year (78.6% 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 Kingston's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 200 | 35,420 |
| 110 gal | 200 | 35,420 |
| 165 gal | 200 | 35,420 |
| 275 gal | 200 | 35,420 |
| 550 gal | 200 | 35,420 |
| 1,000 gal | 200 | 35,420 |
| 1,500 gal | 200 | 35,420 |
| 2,500 gal | 200 | 35,420 |
| 5,000 gal | 200 | 35,420 |
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