Upper Arlington, OH rainwater: 35,496 gallons off a roof
Upper Arlington, OH: gallons off the roof each year
35,496gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Upper Arlington, OH's normal 44.7 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Upper Arlington, 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 Columbus Wcmh station (2.3 mi away). Upper Arlington, OH ranks 16th wettest of the 176 cities covered in Ohio.
Month by month in Upper Arlington
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.09 | 2,456 | |
| Feb | 2.63 | 2,090 | |
| Mar | 3.88 | 3,084 | |
| Apr | 4.04 | 3,211 | 39 |
| May | 4.78 | 3,799 | |
| Jun | 4.70 | 3,736 | |
| Jul | 4.28 | 3,402 | 9 |
| Aug | 3.84 | 3,052 | 64 |
| Sep | 3.78 | 3,004 | 71 |
| Oct | 3.19 | 2,535 | 145 |
| Nov | 3.04 | 2,416 | |
| Dec | 3.41 | 2,710 |
May is the wettest month (4.78 in, 3,799 gal off the roof); Feb the driest (2.63 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 Upper Arlington
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 245 gallons to the garden in a normal year (75.0% 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 Upper Arlington's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 245 | 33,796 |
| 110 gal | 245 | 33,796 |
| 165 gal | 245 | 33,796 |
| 275 gal | 245 | 33,796 |
| 550 gal | 245 | 33,796 |
| 1,000 gal | 245 | 33,796 |
| 1,500 gal | 245 | 33,796 |
| 2,500 gal | 245 | 33,796 |
| 5,000 gal | 245 | 33,796 |
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