Long Beach, NY rainwater: 38,659 gallons off a roof
How much rain a roof in Long Beach, NY collects
38,659gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Long Beach, NY's normal 48.6 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Long Beach, 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 Oceanside station (3.8 mi away). Long Beach, NY ranks 29th wettest of the 90 cities covered in New York.
Month by month in Long Beach
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.81 | 3,028 | |
| Feb | 3.01 | 2,392 | |
| Mar | 4.64 | 3,688 | |
| Apr | 4.16 | 3,306 | 24 |
| May | 4.31 | 3,426 | 5 |
| Jun | 4.57 | 3,632 | |
| Jul | 4.25 | 3,378 | 12 |
| Aug | 4.16 | 3,306 | 24 |
| Sep | 3.76 | 2,988 | 74 |
| Oct | 4.30 | 3,418 | 6 |
| Nov | 3.57 | 2,837 | |
| Dec | 4.10 | 3,259 |
Mar is the wettest month (4.64 in, 3,688 gal off the roof); Feb the driest (3.01 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 Long Beach?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 115 gallons to the garden in a normal year (79.5% 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 Long Beach's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 115 | 37,300 |
| 110 gal | 115 | 37,300 |
| 165 gal | 115 | 37,300 |
| 275 gal | 115 | 37,300 |
| 550 gal | 115 | 37,300 |
| 1,000 gal | 115 | 37,300 |
| 1,500 gal | 115 | 37,300 |
| 2,500 gal | 115 | 37,300 |
| 5,000 gal | 115 | 37,300 |
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