Urbana, OH rainwater: 34,971 gallons off a roof
How much rain a roof in Urbana, OH collects
34,971gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Urbana, OH's normal 44.0 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Urbana, 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 Urbana Wwtp station (1.6 mi away). Urbana, OH ranks 34th wettest of the 176 cities covered in Ohio.
Month by month in Urbana
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.13 | 2,488 | |
| Feb | 2.31 | 1,836 | |
| Mar | 3.27 | 2,599 | |
| Apr | 4.32 | 3,434 | 4 |
| May | 4.90 | 3,895 | |
| Jun | 4.41 | 3,505 | |
| Jul | 5.49 | 4,363 | |
| Aug | 3.58 | 2,845 | 96 |
| Sep | 3.34 | 2,655 | 126 |
| Oct | 2.86 | 2,273 | 186 |
| Nov | 3.12 | 2,480 | |
| Dec | 3.27 | 2,599 |
Jul is the wettest month (5.49 in, 4,363 gal off the roof); Feb the driest (2.31 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 Urbana?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 331 gallons to the garden in a normal year (80.5% 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 Urbana's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 331 | 33,351 |
| 110 gal | 331 | 33,351 |
| 165 gal | 331 | 33,351 |
| 275 gal | 331 | 33,351 |
| 550 gal | 331 | 33,351 |
| 1,000 gal | 331 | 33,351 |
| 1,500 gal | 331 | 33,351 |
| 2,500 gal | 331 | 33,351 |
| 5,000 gal | 331 | 33,351 |
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