Newton, KS rainwater: 26,841 gallons off a roof

Newton, KS: gallons off the roof each year

26,841gallons a year

That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Newton, KS's normal 33.8 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.

In Newton, KS 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 Newton station (1.2 mi away). Newton, KS ranks 29th wettest of the 38 cities covered in Kansas.

Month by month in Newton

Month	Rain (in)	Off the roof (gal)	Garden shortfall (gal)
Jan	0.80	636
Feb	1.25	994
Mar	2.38	1,892
Apr	2.92	2,321	178
May	4.89	3,887
Jun	5.01	3,982
Jul	4.20	3,338	19
Aug	3.89	3,092	57
Sep	2.98	2,369	171
Oct	2.64	2,098	213
Nov	1.65	1,311
Dec	1.16	922

Jun is the wettest month (5.01 in, 3,982 gal off the roof); Jan the driest (0.80 in). Garden shortfall is what a 200 sq ft vegetable bed needs beyond the rain that lands on it, April to October.

What size rain barrel for Newton

Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 544 gallons to the garden in a normal year (85.2% 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 Newton's roof water will pass straight through it.

Tank	Water used (gal/yr)	Spills over (gal/yr)
55 gal	544	25,487
110 gal	544	25,487
165 gal	544	25,487
275 gal	544	25,487
550 gal	544	25,487
1,000 gal	544	25,487
1,500 gal	544	25,487
2,500 gal	544	25,487
5,000 gal	544	25,487

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 Kansas?

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