Tahlequah, OK rainwater: 40,519 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in Tahlequah, OK
40,519gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Tahlequah, OK's normal 51.0 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Tahlequah, OK 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 Tahlequah station (2.0 mi away). Tahlequah, OK ranks 1st wettest of the 45 cities covered in Oklahoma.
Month by month in Tahlequah
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.47 | 1,963 | |
| Feb | 2.95 | 2,345 | |
| Mar | 4.37 | 3,473 | |
| Apr | 4.74 | 3,767 | |
| May | 6.33 | 5,031 | |
| Jun | 5.50 | 4,371 | |
| Jul | 4.43 | 3,521 | |
| Aug | 4.10 | 3,259 | 31 |
| Sep | 4.88 | 3,879 | |
| Oct | 4.16 | 3,306 | 24 |
| Nov | 4.23 | 3,362 | |
| Dec | 2.82 | 2,241 |
May is the wettest month (6.33 in, 5,031 gal off the roof); Jan the driest (2.47 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 Tahlequah?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 46 gallons to the garden in a normal year (83.9% 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 Tahlequah's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 46 | 39,468 |
| 110 gal | 46 | 39,468 |
| 165 gal | 46 | 39,468 |
| 275 gal | 46 | 39,468 |
| 550 gal | 46 | 39,468 |
| 1,000 gal | 46 | 39,468 |
| 1,500 gal | 46 | 39,468 |
| 2,500 gal | 46 | 39,468 |
| 5,000 gal | 46 | 39,468 |
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 Oklahoma?
Encouraged through state legislation: Water for 2060 Act
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