New Haven, CT rainwater: 33,215 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in New Haven, CT
33,215gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under New Haven, CT's normal 41.8 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In New Haven, CT 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 Haven Tweed Ap station (3.8 mi away). New Haven, CT ranks 19th wettest of the 21 cities covered in Connecticut.
Month by month in New Haven
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.72 | 2,162 | |
| Feb | 2.84 | 2,257 | |
| Mar | 3.66 | 2,909 | |
| Apr | 4.19 | 3,330 | 20 |
| May | 3.54 | 2,814 | 101 |
| Jun | 3.47 | 2,758 | 110 |
| Jul | 3.36 | 2,671 | 123 |
| Aug | 3.55 | 2,822 | 100 |
| Sep | 4.03 | 3,203 | 40 |
| Oct | 3.78 | 3,004 | 71 |
| Nov | 3.12 | 2,480 | |
| Dec | 3.53 | 2,806 |
Apr is the wettest month (4.19 in, 3,330 gal off the roof); Jan the driest (2.72 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 Haven?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 446 gallons to the garden in a normal year (79.0% 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 New Haven's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 446 | 31,644 |
| 110 gal | 446 | 31,644 |
| 165 gal | 446 | 31,644 |
| 275 gal | 446 | 31,644 |
| 550 gal | 446 | 31,644 |
| 1,000 gal | 446 | 31,644 |
| 1,500 gal | 446 | 31,644 |
| 2,500 gal | 446 | 31,644 |
| 5,000 gal | 446 | 31,644 |
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 Connecticut?
No rainwater harvesting regulations
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