Tonawanda, NY rainwater: 32,484 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in Tonawanda, NY
32,484gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Tonawanda, NY's normal 40.9 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Tonawanda, 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 Kenmore 0.8 Nw station (2.7 mi away). Tonawanda, NY ranks 75th wettest of the 90 cities covered in New York.
Month by month in Tonawanda
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.27 | 2,599 | |
| Feb | 2.48 | 1,971 | |
| Mar | 2.95 | 2,345 | |
| Apr | 3.68 | 2,925 | 84 |
| May | 3.36 | 2,671 | 123 |
| Jun | 3.62 | 2,877 | 91 |
| Jul | 3.48 | 2,766 | 108 |
| Aug | 3.26 | 2,591 | 136 |
| Sep | 3.83 | 3,044 | 65 |
| Oct | 4.08 | 3,243 | 34 |
| Nov | 3.29 | 2,615 | |
| Dec | 3.57 | 2,837 |
Oct is the wettest month (4.08 in, 3,243 gal off the roof); Feb the driest (2.48 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 Tonawanda?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 486 gallons to the garden in a normal year (75.8% of its need).
If you set one up, a 55-gallon barrel with a downspout diverter is the whole job. Check that the overflow points away from your foundation, because most of Tonawanda's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 486 | 30,588 |
| 110 gal | 486 | 30,588 |
| 165 gal | 486 | 30,588 |
| 275 gal | 486 | 30,588 |
| 550 gal | 486 | 30,588 |
| 1,000 gal | 486 | 30,588 |
| 1,500 gal | 486 | 30,588 |
| 2,500 gal | 486 | 30,588 |
| 5,000 gal | 486 | 30,588 |
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