Tucson, AZ rainwater: 9,649 gallons off a roof
How much rain a roof in Tucson, AZ collects
9,649gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Tucson, AZ's normal 12.1 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
Tucson, AZ's rain arrives in a wet season and stops, so storage is what matters. It takes a cistern of 1,000 gallons to carry spring rain into the dry months.
Rainfall: NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, the Tucson 6.4 Sse station (1.6 mi away). Tucson, AZ ranks 12th wettest of the 44 cities covered in Arizona.
Month by month in Tucson
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.04 | 827 | |
| Feb | 1.05 | 835 | |
| Mar | 0.64 | 509 | |
| Apr | 0.30 | 238 | 505 |
| May | 0.19 | 151 | 519 |
| Jun | 0.30 | 238 | 505 |
| Jul | 2.36 | 1,876 | 248 |
| Aug | 2.37 | 1,884 | 247 |
| Sep | 1.40 | 1,113 | 368 |
| Oct | 0.76 | 604 | 448 |
| Nov | 0.63 | 501 | |
| Dec | 1.10 | 874 |
Aug is the wettest month (2.37 in, 1,884 gal off the roof); May the driest (0.19 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 Tucson
Best fit: a 1,000-gallon cistern, which delivers about 2,663 gallons to the garden in a normal year (93.8% of its need).
Before you buy, ask about a rebate first: cistern-sized storage costs real money, and a buried or tall tank may need a permit. Place it where a full tank (about 8.3 lb a gallon) sits on firm, level ground.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 868 | 8,391 |
| 110 gal | 1,356 | 7,903 |
| 165 gal | 1,712 | 7,547 |
| 275 gal | 2,019 | 7,240 |
| 550 gal | 2,294 | 6,965 |
| 1,000 gal | 2,663 | 6,596 |
| 1,500 gal | 2,663 | 6,596 |
| 2,500 gal | 2,663 | 6,596 |
| 5,000 gal | 2,663 | 6,596 |
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 Arizona?
Legal. Any rainwater that falls on your property may be collected for later use, in rain barrels or cisterns fed from rooftop runoff. No state storage cap stated; check city rules (some, e.g. Tucson/Flagstaff, have their own requirements or incentives).
Checked against the current source on 2026-11-06. Source