Trump Initiates Efforts to Revamp Shower Regulations for Better Water Flow

Former President Trump's directive aims to enhance shower experience, claiming the existing standards are excessively restrictive.

In a recent move, former President Donald Trump has unveiled an initiative to "make America's showers great again" by revising existing regulations that govern water flow in showerheads. This order tasks the energy secretary with reversing a policy established under Barack Obama, which limits total water discharge from multi-nozzle showers to a maximum of 2.5 gallons per minute.

The White House criticized the previous rule as part of a "radical green agenda" which, according to Trump, hampers the daily lives of ordinary Americans. He expressed his frustration, suggesting that the time spent getting his hair wet in the shower is excessive, dubbing it "ridiculous."

Consumer advocates and conservation organizations have expressed disapproval of the proposed changes, labeling them as wasteful. A report from the Appliance Standards Awareness Project indicates that standards implemented over 30 years ago effectively minimize water waste, lead to savings on both water and energy bills, while also benefiting the environment.

Under the 1992 energy law, showerheads in the U.S. were mandated to have a maximum flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute. However, the Obama administration introduced a revision in the definition that applied the restriction cumulatively across all nozzles. Trump, during his presidency, attempted to modify this, allowing each nozzle to have its own limit, but Joe Biden reversed these changes following his inauguration.

Trump's current order, aimed at simplifying regulations, states that the changes will formally take effect 30 days after the energy secretary releases a notice repealing the current definitions. During the signing ceremony, Trump emphasized the desire for more effective showerheads, remarking that the previous standards made an essential household fixture feel overly regulated and ineffective. He reiterated his belief that Americans should have the freedom to choose their showerheads without government intervention, arguing for the need to return to the original interpretation of 'showerhead' from the 1992 law.