Sandy, OR rainwater: 43,929 gallons off a roof
How much rain a roof in Sandy, OR collects
43,929gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Sandy, OR's normal 55.3 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
Sandy, OR has gaps between storms long enough to drain a single barrel. Around 165 gallons of storage catches most of what is worth catching.
Rainfall: NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, the Boring 0.6 Wsw station (5.1 mi away). Sandy, OR ranks 5th wettest of the 57 cities covered in Oregon.
Month by month in Sandy
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.21 | 5,731 | |
| Feb | 5.30 | 4,212 | |
| Mar | 6.49 | 5,158 | |
| Apr | 5.33 | 4,236 | |
| May | 3.97 | 3,155 | 47 |
| Jun | 3.15 | 2,504 | 150 |
| Jul | 0.73 | 580 | 451 |
| Aug | 0.71 | 564 | 454 |
| Sep | 1.92 | 1,526 | 303 |
| Oct | 4.65 | 3,696 | |
| Nov | 7.61 | 6,048 | |
| Dec | 8.20 | 6,517 |
Dec is the wettest month (8.20 in, 6,517 gal off the roof); Aug the driest (0.71 in). Garden shortfall is what a 200 sq ft vegetable bed needs beyond the rain that lands on it, April to October.
Which tank size is worth it in Sandy
Best fit: 3 linked 55-gallon barrels, which delivers about 1,200 gallons to the garden in a normal year (85.4% of its need).
If you set one up, link barrels with a short hose at the base so they fill and drain together, and check the overflow points away from the house.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 742 | 41,101 |
| 110 gal | 1,079 | 40,765 |
| 165 gal | 1,200 | 40,644 |
| 275 gal | 1,200 | 40,644 |
| 550 gal | 1,200 | 40,644 |
| 1,000 gal | 1,200 | 40,644 |
| 1,500 gal | 1,200 | 40,644 |
| 2,500 gal | 1,200 | 40,644 |
| 5,000 gal | 1,200 | 40,644 |
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 Oregon?
Collecting and using rain from an artificial impervious surface (e.g. a rooftop) is an exempt use: no water right application, permit or certificate needed. Statute sets no storage cap in this section.
Checked against the current source on 2026-11-06. Source