Who this is for
Families and households wanting high-volume water storage before a major storm hits.
Skip if
Sudden evacuations or daily usage when the bathtub is needed.
Preparedness Gear
WaterBOB Emergency Bathtub Water Storage
Evaluated for household use · Affiliate links disclosed
Holds up to 100 gallons in your existing bathtub
Why we chose it
No extra storage space is required since it uses your existing bathtub. Useful for households that want high-volume water capacity ahead of a storm, without permanent storage drums.
Buy From
WalmartAffiliate links · We earn a small commission at no cost to you. How this works
We evaluate every pick for real-world reliability.
Why this matters
Why this matters in an emergency
Filters make bad water drinkable, but they can't make water appear. When a hurricane is forecast or a hard freeze threatens the pipes, the time to store a lot of clean water is before the supply is ever disrupted — because once the pressure drops, your chance to stock up is gone. The problem is most homes don't have room for stacks of water drums.
The WaterBOB solves that with one clever idea: it turns the bathtub you already have into a 100-gallon water tank. It's a food-grade plastic liner that sits in the tub, fills from the faucet before the storm, and keeps the water clean and sealed off from dust and the open air for weeks. For a family, 100 gallons is roughly two weeks of drinking water — captured in the calm before a storm, ready for the disruption after. It's cheap, it stores flat in a drawer until you need it, and it answers the one water question a filter can't: where does the water itself come from?
How We Evaluated
How we evaluated this
We researched this the way we'd vet any water-storage gear before trusting our drinking supply to it: the manufacturer's specs and the certifications behind it. We confirmed the things that matter for storing drinking water — that the liner is FDA-compliant, food-grade, BPA-free plastic, and that the design seals the water away from the open air, which is what lets it stay fresh far longer than an open tub — working from WaterBOB's own specs for the capacity and the roughly 16-week freshness window.
We haven't filled and stored one ourselves, so we're upfront about where this rests: WaterBOB's published specs and the certification behind the liner, plus the general picture owners give of the real-world truths — how long it really takes to fill, whether the included siphon pump is any good, the seams and leaks people occasionally hit, and the single-use limitation that surprises some buyers. That's enough to tell you what to expect, what it does and doesn't replace, and the mistakes to avoid — we're just not claiming a systematic owner-review study we didn't run.
Our pick: WaterBOB Emergency Bathtub Water Storage
The verdict
The WaterBOB is a low-cost, no-installation way to store a large amount of water — up to 100 gallons — using a tub you already have, before a hurricane or major freeze. It stores flat, and you fill it from your own faucet before the storm arrives.
- Certified food-safe BPA-free liner — FDA compliant
- No pump required — gravity fills directly from the faucet
- Fits any standard bathtub, no tools or modifications needed
- Fills in about 20–30 minutes (manufacturer) — no special equipment, just your bathtub faucet
- 100-gallon capacity covers a family of four for 14+ days of drinking water
- Single-use only — cannot be cleaned and safely reused after draining
- Renders the bathtub completely unusable during the emergency
- Must be filled BEFORE the emergency — useless after water is cut off
- Hand pump is sold separately and adds cost
What it does well
What makes it work is using space you already have. Instead of finding room to store water drums year-round, you keep a flat plastic liner in a drawer and deploy it only when a storm or freeze is coming. It lines your bathtub, connects to the faucet with the included fill sock, and takes on up to 100 gallons of your own clean tap water — WaterBOB puts a full fill at about 20–30 minutes, so you start well before the storm hits, not after. For a family, that's around two weeks of drinking water, captured before any disruption — which is the whole point, because the time to store water is before the pressure drops, not after.
What makes it better than just filling the tub directly is the seal. The water sits inside food-grade, BPA-free, FDA-compliant plastic, closed off from dust, debris, pets, and the open air, so it stays clean and drinkable for up to about 16 weeks rather than going stale in days. An included siphon pump lets you draw water out into pitchers and pots without scooping. It's inexpensive, genuinely simple, and solves a problem filters and power stations can't touch: having the water in the first place.
What it does poorly
The big limitation, and the one that surprises people, is that it's single-use. Once you drain it, you can't reliably clean and dry the inside, so you don't reuse it — it's one storm, one liner. That makes it a consumable, not a permanent solution, and you'll want a spare on hand for back-to-back events. It also takes your bathtub out of commission for the duration, which matters if it's your only tub. The included hand pump is functional but slow and a little awkward, by common account. And — this is the crucial one — it only works if you fill it before the emergency; it does nothing for you once the water's already off.
Where it shines
Forecast events with warning: hurricanes, tropical storms, major winter storms, planned utility work. Anytime you can see a disruption coming a day or two out, the WaterBOB lets a household bank a large reserve of clean water ahead of time, cheaply, and without dedicating storage space year-round.
Where it frustrates
If you were hoping for reusable, permanent storage, the single-use design will annoy you — for that, stackable containers are the answer. And if a disruption hits with no warning, the WaterBOB can't help after the fact, because there's nothing to fill it with. It rewards planning ahead; it does nothing for the unprepared moment.
Other options to consider
WaterBrick stackable containers
The reusable alternative for permanent storage. WaterBricks are food-grade, stack like bricks, and last for years, so they're better if you want a standing reserve you refresh periodically. The trade is they cost more per gallon and need year-round storage space. The WaterBOB wins on cost and zero footprint between events; the WaterBricks win on reusability.
Read full review →Reliance Aqua-Tainer 7-gallon jugs
The familiar, affordable middle ground. Rigid jugs are reusable and easy to move one at a time, but storing two weeks' worth for a family takes real closet space and a lot of jugs. They're great as a baseline reserve; the WaterBOB adds a large surge of capacity right before a storm without keeping it all year.
Read full review →Just filling the bathtub directly
Free, and better than nothing — but not as good. An open tub of tap water works in a true pinch, but the water is exposed to dust and grime, most tubs don't seal well enough to avoid slow leaks, and you wouldn't want to drink it without treating it. For a few dollars, the WaterBOB keeps the same water clean and sealed for weeks — a real upgrade for drinking water.
You might also like
Longevity
How long will this actually last
The WaterBOB is a consumable, and it's important to plan around that honestly: it's designed for a single use. Once you've filled and drained it, the inside is nearly impossible to dry fully, and trapped moisture invites mold and bacteria — so the manufacturer (and we) advise against reusing it. Think of it like a large, food-safe single-event tool, not a piece of permanent gear.
The liner itself, stored sealed in its box, keeps for years, so buying one or two to stash for hurricane season is sound; just don't expect to refill the same liner next season. Once it's deployed, the water inside stays fresh for up to about 16 weeks thanks to the sealed, food-grade plastic, after which you'd want to use or rotate it. The siphon pump is the only reusable part worth saving. The practical approach: keep a spare liner on hand for back-to-back storms, store the unused liners somewhere cool and dry, and treat each deployment as a one-time use. It's cheap enough that single-use is an easy trade for the space it saves.
Questions people actually ask
How long does it take to fill, and how much does it hold?
Is the water safe to drink, and for how long?
Can I reuse it for the next storm?
Do I need the hand pump?
What if the power or water goes out with no warning?
Technical Specifications
| Capacity | Up to 100 Gallons |
| Material | BPA-Free Food Grade Plastic |
| Dimensions | Fits standard tubs |
| Shelf Life | 16 Weeks stored |
| Fill Time | ~20–30 min (manufacturer) |
Sources we consulted
We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. How this works
Preparedness Gear
WaterBOB Emergency Bathtub Water Storage
Evaluated for household use · Affiliate links disclosed
Holds up to 100 gallons in your existing bathtub
Why we chose it
No extra storage space is required since it uses your existing bathtub. Useful for households that want high-volume water capacity ahead of a storm, without permanent storage drums.
Buy From
WalmartAffiliate links · We earn a small commission at no cost to you. How this works
We evaluate every pick for real-world reliability.