Suffern, NY rainwater: 39,391 gallons off a roof
Suffern, NY: gallons off the roof each year
39,391gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Suffern, NY's normal 49.6 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Suffern, NY 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 Ringwood station (6.8 mi away). Suffern, NY ranks 19th wettest of the 90 cities covered in New York.
Month by month in Suffern
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.56 | 2,830 | |
| Feb | 2.72 | 2,162 | |
| Mar | 4.00 | 3,179 | |
| Apr | 4.01 | 3,187 | 42 |
| May | 3.94 | 3,132 | 51 |
| Jun | 5.41 | 4,300 | |
| Jul | 4.30 | 3,418 | 6 |
| Aug | 4.20 | 3,338 | 19 |
| Sep | 5.03 | 3,998 | |
| Oct | 4.41 | 3,505 | |
| Nov | 3.68 | 2,925 | |
| Dec | 4.30 | 3,418 |
Jun is the wettest month (5.41 in, 4,300 gal off the roof); Feb 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.
Which tank size is worth it in Suffern
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 90 gallons to the garden in a normal year (76.0% 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 Suffern's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 90 | 38,131 |
| 110 gal | 90 | 38,131 |
| 165 gal | 90 | 38,131 |
| 275 gal | 90 | 38,131 |
| 550 gal | 90 | 38,131 |
| 1,000 gal | 90 | 38,131 |
| 1,500 gal | 90 | 38,131 |
| 2,500 gal | 90 | 38,131 |
| 5,000 gal | 90 | 38,131 |
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 New York?
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