Sierra Vista, AZ rainwater: 11,723 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in Sierra Vista, AZ
11,723gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Sierra Vista, AZ's normal 14.8 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
Sierra Vista, AZ's rain arrives in a wet season and stops, so storage is what matters. It takes a cistern of 1,500 gallons to carry spring rain into the dry months.
Rainfall: NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, the Sierra Vista 1.3 E station (2.5 mi away). Sierra Vista, AZ ranks 6th wettest of the 44 cities covered in Arizona.
Month by month in Sierra Vista
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.79 | 628 | |
| Feb | 0.73 | 580 | |
| Mar | 0.67 | 533 | |
| Apr | 0.07 | 56 | 534 |
| May | 0.15 | 119 | 524 |
| Jun | 0.44 | 350 | 487 |
| Jul | 3.73 | 2,965 | 77 |
| Aug | 3.30 | 2,623 | 131 |
| Sep | 2.74 | 2,178 | 201 |
| Oct | 0.65 | 517 | 461 |
| Nov | 0.68 | 540 | |
| Dec | 0.80 | 636 |
Jul is the wettest month (3.73 in, 2,965 gal off the roof); Apr the driest (0.07 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 Sierra Vista
Best fit: a 1,500-gallon cistern, which delivers about 2,290 gallons to the garden in a normal year (94.8% of its need).
Before you buy, ask about a rebate first: cistern-sized storage costs real money, and a buried or tall tank may need a permit. Place it where a full tank (about 8.3 lb a gallon) sits on firm, level ground.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 583 | 10,486 |
| 110 gal | 852 | 10,217 |
| 165 gal | 1,031 | 10,038 |
| 275 gal | 1,264 | 9,804 |
| 550 gal | 1,539 | 9,529 |
| 1,000 gal | 1,989 | 9,079 |
| 1,500 gal | 2,290 | 8,778 |
| 2,500 gal | 2,290 | 8,778 |
| 5,000 gal | 2,290 | 8,778 |
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 Arizona?
Legal. Any rainwater that falls on your property may be collected for later use, in rain barrels or cisterns fed from rooftop runoff. No state storage cap stated; check city rules (some, e.g. Tucson/Flagstaff, have their own requirements or incentives).
Checked against the current source on 2026-11-06. Source