Mishawaka, IN rainwater: 31,752 gallons off a roof
How much rain a roof in Mishawaka, IN collects
31,752gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Mishawaka, IN's normal 40.0 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Mishawaka, IN 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 South Bend 4.5 Se station (4.6 mi away). Mishawaka, IN ranks 78th wettest of the 88 cities covered in Indiana.
Month by month in Mishawaka
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.68 | 2,130 | |
| Feb | 2.45 | 1,947 | |
| Mar | 2.34 | 1,860 | |
| Apr | 3.47 | 2,758 | 110 |
| May | 4.23 | 3,362 | 15 |
| Jun | 4.32 | 3,434 | 4 |
| Jul | 4.03 | 3,203 | 40 |
| Aug | 4.14 | 3,290 | 26 |
| Sep | 3.58 | 2,845 | 96 |
| Oct | 3.57 | 2,837 | 97 |
| Nov | 2.86 | 2,273 | |
| Dec | 2.28 | 1,812 |
Jun is the wettest month (4.32 in, 3,434 gal off the roof); Dec the driest (2.28 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 Mishawaka?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 298 gallons to the garden in a normal year (76.9% 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 Mishawaka's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 298 | 30,269 |
| 110 gal | 298 | 30,269 |
| 165 gal | 298 | 30,269 |
| 275 gal | 298 | 30,269 |
| 550 gal | 298 | 30,269 |
| 1,000 gal | 298 | 30,269 |
| 1,500 gal | 298 | 30,269 |
| 2,500 gal | 298 | 30,269 |
| 5,000 gal | 298 | 30,269 |
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 Indiana?
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