Toledo, OH rainwater: 29,376 gallons off a roof
Toledo, OH: gallons off the roof each year
29,376gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Toledo, OH's normal 37.0 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Toledo, OH 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 Toledo 2.4 Ene station (2.4 mi away). Toledo, OH ranks 158th wettest of the 176 cities covered in Ohio.
Month by month in Toledo
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.46 | 1,955 | |
| Feb | 2.50 | 1,987 | |
| Mar | 2.58 | 2,051 | |
| Apr | 3.45 | 2,742 | 112 |
| May | 3.84 | 3,052 | 64 |
| Jun | 3.69 | 2,933 | 82 |
| Jul | 3.66 | 2,909 | 86 |
| Aug | 3.75 | 2,981 | 75 |
| Sep | 3.27 | 2,599 | 135 |
| Oct | 2.74 | 2,178 | 201 |
| Nov | 2.64 | 2,098 | |
| Dec | 2.38 | 1,892 |
May is the wettest month (3.84 in, 3,052 gal off the roof); Dec the driest (2.38 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 Toledo
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 598 gallons to the garden in a normal year (79.3% 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 Toledo's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 598 | 27,758 |
| 110 gal | 598 | 27,758 |
| 165 gal | 598 | 27,758 |
| 275 gal | 598 | 27,758 |
| 550 gal | 598 | 27,758 |
| 1,000 gal | 598 | 27,758 |
| 1,500 gal | 598 | 27,758 |
| 2,500 gal | 598 | 27,758 |
| 5,000 gal | 598 | 27,758 |
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 Ohio?
Legal. Ohio regulates rainwater cisterns used as a drinking-water source as private water systems (OAC chapter 3701-28): local health department permit, continuous disinfection and filtration. No state rule restricting non-potable collection or storage size.
Checked against the current source on 2026-11-06. Source