Wabash, IN rainwater: 32,062 gallons off a roof
How much rain a roof in Wabash, IN collects
32,062gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Wabash, IN's normal 40.3 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Wabash, 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 Wabash station (0.8 mi away). Wabash, IN ranks 70th wettest of the 88 cities covered in Indiana.
Month by month in Wabash
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.41 | 1,915 | |
| Feb | 2.25 | 1,788 | |
| Mar | 2.63 | 2,090 | |
| Apr | 3.54 | 2,814 | 101 |
| May | 4.36 | 3,465 | |
| Jun | 4.88 | 3,879 | |
| Jul | 4.56 | 3,624 | |
| Aug | 4.20 | 3,338 | 19 |
| Sep | 3.20 | 2,543 | 143 |
| Oct | 3.06 | 2,432 | 161 |
| Nov | 2.91 | 2,313 | |
| Dec | 2.34 | 1,860 |
Jun is the wettest month (4.88 in, 3,879 gal off the roof); Feb the driest (2.25 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 Wabash?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 341 gallons to the garden in a normal year (80.4% 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 Wabash's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 341 | 30,536 |
| 110 gal | 341 | 30,536 |
| 165 gal | 341 | 30,536 |
| 275 gal | 341 | 30,536 |
| 550 gal | 341 | 30,536 |
| 1,000 gal | 341 | 30,536 |
| 1,500 gal | 341 | 30,536 |
| 2,500 gal | 341 | 30,536 |
| 5,000 gal | 341 | 30,536 |
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