RWH System Sizing Calculator - TWDB

Raw Data
(Change to fit your conditions)
Catchment Area (sq. ft.)
2,500
Monthly Indoor Demand (gals)
3,000
Outdoor Demand (gals)
150
Water in Storage to Begin (gal)
1,000
Tank Size (gal)
10,000

Example 1: Storage Starting at 1,000 gallons; 10,000 G

Indoor
demand

Irrigation

January
February
March
April

3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000

0.0
0.0
150.0
150.0

May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000

150.0
150.0
150.0
150.0
150.0
150.0
0.0
0.0

Example 2: Storage Starting at 1,000 gallons; 10,000 G

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Indoor
demand
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000
3,000

Irrigation
0.0
0.0
150.0
150.0
150.0
150.0
150.0
150.0
150.0
150.0
0.0
0.0

Outdoor demand is based upon a small low-water use landscape with minimal handheld irrigation; persons intending
larger catchment area and larger storage capacity to accommodate both indoor demand and outdoor irrigation in larg

Please note that in the Average Rainfall scenario, the water in storage may eventually exceed the capacity of the cist
month storage amount.

This calculator is provided for general guidance only. Design and installation of RWH facilities should be based on site

Starting at 1,000 gallons; 10,000 Gallons Available Storage and using Average Rainfall (Dallas)

Total
demand

Collection
Average
surface
rainfall
size

Rainfall
Gallons/ft2
collected
collection Efficiency
(85%
coefficient
factor efficiency)

End of
month
storage
(starting
with water
in storage)

3,000
3,000
3,150
3,150

1.97
2.40
2.91
3.81

2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500

0.62
0.62
0.62
0.62

0.85
0.85
0.85
0.85

2,595
3,162
3,834
5,020

595
757
1,441
3,311

3,150
3,150
3,150
3,150
3,150
3,150
3,000
3,000

5.01
3.12
2.04
2.07
2.67
3.76
2.70
2.64

2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500

0.62
0.62
0.62
0.62
0.62
0.62
0.62
0.62

0.85
0.85
0.85
0.85
0.85
0.85
0.85
0.85

6,601
4,111
2,688
2,727
3,518
4,954
3,557
3,478

6,762
7,722
7,260
6,837
7,205
9,009
9,566
10,000

Starting at 1,000 gallons; 10,000 Gallons Available Storage and using Median Rainfall (Dallas)

Total
demand
3,000
3,000
3,150
3,150
3,150
3,150
3,150
3,150
3,150
3,150
3,000
3,000

Median
rainfall
1.80
2.11
2.36
2.98
4.27
2.85
1.60
1.74
2.50
2.94
2.00
2.10

Collection
surface
size
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500

Rainfall
Gallons/ft2
collected
collection Efficiency
(85%
coefficient
factor efficiency)
0.62
0.85
2,372
0.62
0.85
2,780
0.62
0.85
3,109
0.62
0.85
3,926
0.62
0.85
5,626
0.62
0.85
3,755
0.62
0.85
2,108
0.62
0.85
2,292
0.62
0.85
3,294
0.62
0.85
3,873
0.62
0.85
2,635
0.62
0.85
2,767

End of
month
storage
(starting
with water
in storage)
372
151
111
887
3,363
3,967
2,925
2,068
2,212
2,935
2,570
2,337

dheld irrigation; persons intending to irrigate larger areas or a vegetable garden, will need a
mand and outdoor irrigation in larger quantities.

ally exceed the capacity of the cistern, which puts an effective limit on the end-of-

H facilities should be based on site-specific conditions and technical expertise.

Example One: Storage Starting at 0 gallons; 1

Raw Data
(Change to fit your circumstances)
Catchment Area (sq. ft.)
2,500
Irrigated Area (sq. ft.)
4,000
Tank Size (gals)
12,000

Square
feet of
irrigated
area
January
February

4,000
4,000

March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

4,000
4,000
4,000
4,000
4,000
4,000
4,000
4,000
4,000
4,000

Example Two: Storage Starting at 0 gallons; 1

Irrigation
annual
total
January
4,000
February
4,000
March
4,000
April
4,000
May
4,000
June
4,000
July
4,000
August
4,000
September
4,000
October
4,000
November
4,000
December
4,000

Please note that in the median rainfall scenario illustrated, the water in storage may eventually exceed the capacity
month storage amount.

* Irrigation Factor is cacluated by multiplying average historical potential evapotranspiration by 0.6 (a turf coefficien
Data can be found at http://texaset.tamu.edu/. As an alternative one can use historic data specific to one's own com

This table is for general guidance only. Site-specific irrigation demands may also be calculated by other methods, o

One: Storage Starting at 0 gallons; 12,000 Gallons Available Storage and Average Rainfall (Dallas)

Collection
Average
surface
rainfall
size

Rainfall
Gallons/ft2
collected
collection Efficiency
(85%
coefficient
factor efficiency)

End of
month
storage
(starting
with 0
gallons in
storage)

Irrigation
factor*

Irrigation
Demand

0.00
0.00

0.0
0.0

1.97
2.40

2,500
2,500

0.62
0.62

0.85
0.85

2,595
3,162

2,595
5,757

0.00
0.00
0.00
1.87
2.91
2.68
1.24
0.00
0.00
0.00

0.0
0.0
0.0
4638.6
7212.1
6658.4
3077.0
0.0
0.0
0.0

2.91
3.81
5.01
3.12
2.04
2.07
2.67
3.76
2.70
2.64

2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500

0.62
0.62
0.62
0.62
0.62
0.62
0.62
0.62
0.62
0.62

0.85
0.85
0.85
0.85
0.85
0.85
0.85
0.85
0.85
0.85

3,834
5,020
6,601
4,111
2,688
2,727
3,518
4,954
3,557
3,478

9,591
12,000
12,000
11,472
6,948
3,016
3,457
8,411
11,968
12,000

Two: Storage Starting at 0 gallons; 12,000 Gallons Available Storage and Median Rainfall (Dallas)

Irrigation
factor*
0.00
0.00
0.13
0.10
0.30
2.14
3.35
3.01
1.41
0.07
0.00
0.00

Irrigation
0.0
0.0
332.6
239.9
734.1
5308.2
8303.3
7476.8
3498.6
176.2
0.0
0.0

Median
rainfall
1.80
2.11
2.36
2.98
4.27
2.85
1.60
1.74
2.50
2.94
2.00
2.10

Collection
surface
size
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500
2,500

Rainfall
Gallons/ft2
collected
collection Efficiency
(85%
coefficient
factor efficiency)
0.62
0.85
2,372
0.62
0.85
2,780
0.62
0.85
3,109
0.62
0.85
3,926
0.62
0.85
5,626
0.62
0.85
3,755
0.62
0.85
2,108
0.62
0.85
2,292
0.62
0.85
3,294
0.62
0.85
3,873
0.62
0.85
2,635
0.62
0.85
2,767

End of
month
storage
(starting
with 0
gallons in
storage)
2,372
5,151
7,928
11,614
12,000
10,447
4,251
0
0
3,697
6,332
9,099

may eventually exceed the capacity of the cistern, which puts an effective limit on the end-of-

ranspiration by 0.6 (a turf coefficient for warm season turfgrasses) and subtracting rainfall from the result.
storic data specific to one's own community. A limited dataset is availalble at the TAMU site.

o be calculated by other methods, or as recommended by local water management professionals.