Agency restores shower flow limit lifted by Trump
WASHINGTON — So much for Donald Trump’s quest for “perfect” hair.
President Biden’s administration is reversing a Trumpera rule approved after the former president complained he wasn’t getting wet enough because of limits on water flow from showerheads.
Now, with a new president in office, the Energy Department is going back to a standard adopted in 2013, saying it provides plenty of water for a good soak and a thorough clean.
Since 1992, federal law has dictated that new showerheads should not pour more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute. As newer shower fixtures came out with multiple nozzles, the Obama administration defined the showerhead restrictions to apply to what comes out in total. So if there are four nozzles, no more than 2.5 gallons total should come out among all four.
The Trumpera rule, finalized in December, allows each nozzle to spray as much as 2.5 gallons, not just the overall showerhead.
A proposed rule change, set to be published in the Federal Register, reverts to the Obamaera standard. The change will ensure that consumers continue to save money while reducing water use and paying lower energy bills, the Energy Department said. Officials estimated that the Obamaera rule saved households about $38 a year.
The Energy Department also is proposing to remove the definition of “body spray” adopted in the 2020 final rule. The rule allows “body sprays” to circumvent congressional intent to promote water conservation simply based on orientation of the water flow — a side spray rather than overhead.
The department said in a statement it “believes the 2013 definition of a showerhead strikes the right balance by allowing consumers to continue to have showerhead choices in the market, while placing an emphasis on water conservation and reduced utility bills.”
While publicly talking about the need to keep his hair “perfect,” Trump made increasing water flow and dialing back longstanding appliance conservation standards — including for light bulbs, toilets and dishwashers — a personal issue.
“So showerheads — you take a shower, the water doesn’t come out. You want to wash your hands, the water doesn’t come out,” Trump said at the White House last year. “My hair — I don’t know about you, but it has to be perfect. Perfect.”
But consumer and conservation groups said the 2020 rule change was silly, unnecessary and wasteful.