Lockport, NY rainwater: 30,091 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in Lockport, NY
30,091gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Lockport, NY's normal 37.9 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Lockport, 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 Lockport 4e station (4.5 mi away). Lockport, NY ranks 82nd wettest of the 90 cities covered in New York.
Month by month in Lockport
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.94 | 2,337 | |
| Feb | 2.25 | 1,788 | |
| Mar | 2.65 | 2,106 | |
| Apr | 3.36 | 2,671 | 123 |
| May | 3.05 | 2,424 | 162 |
| Jun | 3.43 | 2,726 | 115 |
| Jul | 3.76 | 2,988 | 74 |
| Aug | 3.21 | 2,551 | 142 |
| Sep | 3.54 | 2,814 | 101 |
| Oct | 3.70 | 2,941 | 81 |
| Nov | 3.05 | 2,424 | |
| Dec | 2.92 | 2,321 |
Jul is the wettest month (3.76 in, 2,988 gal off the roof); Feb the driest (2.25 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 Lockport
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 584 gallons to the garden in a normal year (73.2% 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 Lockport's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 584 | 28,053 |
| 110 gal | 584 | 28,053 |
| 165 gal | 584 | 28,053 |
| 275 gal | 584 | 28,053 |
| 550 gal | 584 | 28,053 |
| 1,000 gal | 584 | 28,053 |
| 1,500 gal | 584 | 28,053 |
| 2,500 gal | 584 | 28,053 |
| 5,000 gal | 584 | 28,053 |
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