Lakeville, MN rainwater: 25,688 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in Lakeville, MN
25,688gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Lakeville, MN's normal 32.3 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Lakeville, MN 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 Farmington 3 Nw station (4.0 mi away). Lakeville, MN ranks 65th wettest of the 103 cities covered in Minnesota.
Month by month in Lakeville
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.05 | 835 | |
| Feb | 0.81 | 644 | |
| Mar | 1.66 | 1,319 | |
| Apr | 2.72 | 2,162 | 203 |
| May | 3.93 | 3,124 | 52 |
| Jun | 4.89 | 3,887 | |
| Jul | 4.24 | 3,370 | 14 |
| Aug | 4.42 | 3,513 | |
| Sep | 3.20 | 2,543 | 143 |
| Oct | 2.75 | 2,186 | 199 |
| Nov | 1.64 | 1,303 | |
| Dec | 1.01 | 803 |
Jun is the wettest month (4.89 in, 3,887 gal off the roof); Feb the driest (0.81 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 Lakeville
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 506 gallons to the garden in a normal year (82.7% of its need).
If you set one up, a 55-gallon barrel with a downspout diverter is the whole job. Check that the overflow points away from your foundation, because most of Lakeville's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 506 | 24,282 |
| 110 gal | 506 | 24,282 |
| 165 gal | 506 | 24,282 |
| 275 gal | 506 | 24,282 |
| 550 gal | 506 | 24,282 |
| 1,000 gal | 506 | 24,282 |
| 1,500 gal | 506 | 24,282 |
| 2,500 gal | 506 | 24,282 |
| 5,000 gal | 506 | 24,282 |
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 Minnesota?
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