Valparaiso, IN rainwater: 33,596 gallons off a roof
How much rain a roof in Valparaiso, IN collects
33,596gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Valparaiso, IN's normal 42.3 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Valparaiso, IN 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 Valparaiso 0.9 Nnw station (0.7 mi away). Valparaiso, IN ranks 46th wettest of the 88 cities covered in Indiana.
Month by month in Valparaiso
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.61 | 2,074 | |
| Feb | 2.73 | 2,170 | |
| Mar | 2.43 | 1,931 | |
| Apr | 3.78 | 3,004 | 71 |
| May | 4.35 | 3,457 | |
| Jun | 4.33 | 3,442 | 2 |
| Jul | 4.43 | 3,521 | |
| Aug | 4.55 | 3,616 | |
| Sep | 3.62 | 2,877 | 91 |
| Oct | 4.04 | 3,211 | 39 |
| Nov | 2.98 | 2,369 | |
| Dec | 2.42 | 1,923 |
Aug is the wettest month (4.55 in, 3,616 gal off the roof); Dec the driest (2.42 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 Valparaiso?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 155 gallons to the garden in a normal year (76.3% of its need).
If you buy one, a 55-gallon barrel with a downspout diverter is the whole job. Check that the overflow points away from your foundation, because most of Valparaiso's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 155 | 32,226 |
| 110 gal | 155 | 32,226 |
| 165 gal | 155 | 32,226 |
| 275 gal | 155 | 32,226 |
| 550 gal | 155 | 32,226 |
| 1,000 gal | 155 | 32,226 |
| 1,500 gal | 155 | 32,226 |
| 2,500 gal | 155 | 32,226 |
| 5,000 gal | 155 | 32,226 |
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 Indiana?
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