New Castle, IN rainwater: 35,250 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in New Castle, IN
35,250gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under New Castle, IN's normal 44.3 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In New Castle, 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 New Castle 3 Sw station (2.2 mi away). New Castle, IN ranks 32nd wettest of the 88 cities covered in Indiana.
Month by month in New Castle
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.01 | 2,392 | |
| Feb | 2.46 | 1,955 | |
| Mar | 3.40 | 2,702 | |
| Apr | 4.42 | 3,513 | |
| May | 4.85 | 3,855 | |
| Jun | 5.34 | 4,244 | |
| Jul | 4.70 | 3,736 | |
| Aug | 3.38 | 2,686 | 121 |
| Sep | 3.07 | 2,440 | 160 |
| Oct | 3.23 | 2,567 | 140 |
| Nov | 3.45 | 2,742 | |
| Dec | 3.04 | 2,416 |
Jun is the wettest month (5.34 in, 4,244 gal off the roof); Feb the driest (2.46 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 New Castle?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 338 gallons to the garden in a normal year (80.4% of its need).
If you buy one, a 55-gallon barrel with a downspout diverter is the whole job. Check that the overflow points away from your foundation, because most of New Castle's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 338 | 33,652 |
| 110 gal | 338 | 33,652 |
| 165 gal | 338 | 33,652 |
| 275 gal | 338 | 33,652 |
| 550 gal | 338 | 33,652 |
| 1,000 gal | 338 | 33,652 |
| 1,500 gal | 338 | 33,652 |
| 2,500 gal | 338 | 33,652 |
| 5,000 gal | 338 | 33,652 |
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