Shelbyville, IN rainwater: 34,995 gallons off a roof
How much rain a roof in Shelbyville, IN collects
34,995gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Shelbyville, IN's normal 44.0 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Shelbyville, 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 Shelbyville Sewage Plt station (1.5 mi away). Shelbyville, IN ranks 35th wettest of the 88 cities covered in Indiana.
Month by month in Shelbyville
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.32 | 2,639 | |
| Feb | 2.68 | 2,130 | |
| Mar | 3.30 | 2,623 | |
| Apr | 4.68 | 3,720 | |
| May | 4.70 | 3,736 | |
| Jun | 4.86 | 3,863 | |
| Jul | 4.16 | 3,306 | 24 |
| Aug | 3.20 | 2,543 | 143 |
| Sep | 3.17 | 2,520 | 147 |
| Oct | 3.13 | 2,488 | 152 |
| Nov | 3.44 | 2,734 | |
| Dec | 3.39 | 2,694 |
Jun is the wettest month (4.86 in, 3,863 gal off the roof); Feb the driest (2.68 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 Shelbyville?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 379 gallons to the garden in a normal year (81.3% 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 Shelbyville's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 379 | 33,401 |
| 110 gal | 379 | 33,401 |
| 165 gal | 379 | 33,401 |
| 275 gal | 379 | 33,401 |
| 550 gal | 379 | 33,401 |
| 1,000 gal | 379 | 33,401 |
| 1,500 gal | 379 | 33,401 |
| 2,500 gal | 379 | 33,401 |
| 5,000 gal | 379 | 33,401 |
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