Longwood, FL rainwater: 39,446 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in Longwood, FL
39,446gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Longwood, FL's normal 49.6 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Longwood, FL 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 Orlando Sanford Ap station (8.3 mi away). Longwood, FL ranks 166th wettest of the 173 cities covered in Florida.
Month by month in Longwood
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.36 | 1,876 | |
| Feb | 2.25 | 1,788 | |
| Mar | 2.85 | 2,265 | |
| Apr | 2.35 | 1,868 | 249 |
| May | 3.31 | 2,631 | 130 |
| Jun | 8.19 | 6,509 | |
| Jul | 7.29 | 5,794 | |
| Aug | 6.77 | 5,381 | |
| Sep | 6.24 | 4,960 | |
| Oct | 3.90 | 3,100 | 56 |
| Nov | 1.88 | 1,494 | |
| Dec | 2.24 | 1,780 |
Jun is the wettest month (8.19 in, 6,509 gal off the roof); Nov the driest (1.88 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 Longwood?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 366 gallons to the garden in a normal year (84.1% 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 Longwood's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 366 | 37,986 |
| 110 gal | 372 | 37,979 |
| 165 gal | 372 | 37,979 |
| 275 gal | 372 | 37,979 |
| 550 gal | 372 | 37,979 |
| 1,000 gal | 372 | 37,979 |
| 1,500 gal | 372 | 37,979 |
| 2,500 gal | 372 | 37,979 |
| 5,000 gal | 372 | 37,979 |
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 Florida?
Legal. Florida approves onsite non-potable use of rainwater for landscape irrigation, vehicle washing, filling pools and fountains and, in some local jurisdictions, toilet/urinal flushing (Florida Plumbing Code). No state storage cap or registration for non-potable collection.
Checked against the current source on 2026-11-06. Source