Truckee, CA rainwater: 24,297 gallons off a roof
Truckee, CA: gallons off the roof each year
24,297gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Truckee, CA's normal 30.6 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
Truckee, CA has gaps between storms long enough to drain a single barrel. Around 550 gallons of storage catches most of what is worth catching.
Rainfall: NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, the Truckee Rs station (1.6 mi away). Truckee, CA ranks 24th wettest of the 376 cities covered in California.
Month by month in Truckee
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.68 | 4,514 | |
| Feb | 5.09 | 4,046 | |
| Mar | 4.46 | 3,545 | |
| Apr | 2.13 | 1,693 | 277 |
| May | 1.49 | 1,184 | 357 |
| Jun | 0.57 | 453 | 471 |
| Jul | 0.26 | 207 | 510 |
| Aug | 0.53 | 421 | 476 |
| Sep | 0.63 | 501 | 464 |
| Oct | 1.77 | 1,407 | 322 |
| Nov | 2.81 | 2,233 | |
| Dec | 5.15 | 4,093 |
Jan is the wettest month (5.68 in, 4,514 gal off the roof); Jul the driest (0.26 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 Truckee
Best fit: a 550-gallon tote or tank, which delivers about 2,518 gallons to the garden in a normal year (87.5% of its need).
If you buy one, link barrels with a short hose at the base so they fill and drain together, and check the overflow points away from the house.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 922 | 22,565 |
| 110 gal | 1,405 | 22,082 |
| 165 gal | 1,715 | 21,772 |
| 275 gal | 2,111 | 21,376 |
| 550 gal | 2,518 | 20,970 |
| 1,000 gal | 2,674 | 20,813 |
| 1,500 gal | 2,674 | 20,813 |
| 2,500 gal | 2,674 | 20,813 |
| 5,000 gal | 2,674 | 20,813 |
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 California?
Legal. Use of rainwater collected from rooftops does not require a water right permit (Rainwater Capture Act of 2012, Water Code 10570 et seq.). The Act does not change existing water rights; local building/plumbing codes still apply to installed systems.
Checked against the current source on 2026-11-06. Source