Lake in the Hills, IL rainwater: 31,442 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in Lake in the Hills, IL
31,442gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Lake in the Hills, IL's normal 39.6 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Lake in the Hills, IL 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 Algonquin 0.7 N station (0.9 mi away). Lake in the Hills, IL ranks 132nd wettest of the 225 cities covered in Illinois.
Month by month in Lake in the Hills
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.86 | 1,478 | |
| Feb | 1.83 | 1,454 | |
| Mar | 2.25 | 1,788 | |
| Apr | 3.57 | 2,837 | 97 |
| May | 5.06 | 4,022 | |
| Jun | 4.75 | 3,775 | |
| Jul | 4.45 | 3,537 | |
| Aug | 4.33 | 3,442 | 2 |
| Sep | 3.52 | 2,798 | 103 |
| Oct | 3.19 | 2,535 | 145 |
| Nov | 2.43 | 1,931 | |
| Dec | 2.32 | 1,844 |
May is the wettest month (5.06 in, 4,022 gal off the roof); Feb the driest (1.83 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 Lake in the Hills
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 268 gallons to the garden in a normal year (77.0% 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 Lake in the Hills's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 268 | 30,049 |
| 110 gal | 268 | 30,049 |
| 165 gal | 268 | 30,049 |
| 275 gal | 268 | 30,049 |
| 550 gal | 268 | 30,049 |
| 1,000 gal | 268 | 30,049 |
| 1,500 gal | 268 | 30,049 |
| 2,500 gal | 268 | 30,049 |
| 5,000 gal | 268 | 30,049 |
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 Illinois?
Local government can regulate rainwater harvesting per state plumbing law
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