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So much for Donald Trump’s quest for “perfect” hair.
President Joe Biden’s administration is reversing an approved Trump-era rule after the former president complained he wasn’t wet enough because of shower head water flow limitations.
Now, with a new president in office, the Energy Department is reverting to a standard passed in 2013, saying it provides plenty of water for good soaking and deep cleaning.
The rule change will have little practical effect, as nearly all commercially manufactured showerheads comply with the 2013 rule – despite the former president’s pet peeve.
A ministry official said the action clarifies what is happening in the market. Showers that provide the additional supply of water that Trump wants are not easy to find, said the official, who insisted on anonymity because the rule change had not been made public.
Since 1992, federal law has dictated that new shower heads should pour no more than 2.5 gallons (9.5 liters) of water per minute. As new shower fixtures came out with multiple nozzles, the Obama administration set the shower head restrictions to apply to what comes out in total. So if there are four nozzles, no more than 2.5 gallons in total should come out of the four.
The Trump-era rule, finalized in December, allows each nozzle to spray up to 2.5 gallons, not just the overall showerhead.
A proposed rule change, to be published in the Federal Register, reverts to the Obama-era 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 Obama-era rule saved households about $ 38 per year, and the Department of Energy expects similar savings by reverting to the 2013 standard.
The Department of Energy is also proposing to remove the definition of “body spray” adopted in the 2020 Final Rule. The rule allows “body spray” to circumvent Congress’ intent to promote water conservation by itself. simply based on the direction of the water flow – a side spray rather than an overhead.
The department said in a statement that it “believes that the 2013 definition of a showerhead strikes the right balance in allowing consumers to continue to have showerhead choices in the market, while bringing the focus on water conservation and reducing utility bills. “
While speaking publicly about the need to keep his hair “perfect,” Trump made the increase in water flow and the recall of long-standing standards for keeping devices – including for light bulbs, toilets and appliances. dishwasher – a personal problem.
“So the shower heads – you take a shower, the water doesn’t come out. You want to wash your hands, the water is not coming out, ” Trump told the White House last year. “So what are you doing? Are you staying there longer or taking a shower longer? Because my hair – I don’t know about you, but it must be perfect. Perfect.”
But consumer and conservation groups have said the 2020 rule change is foolish, unnecessary and unnecessary, especially as the West is suffering a historic two-decade mega-drought.
With four or five or more nozzles, “you could have 10.15 gallons per minute of showerhead output, literally probably washing yourself out of the bathroom,” said Andrew deLaski, executive director of the conservation group. Energy Appliance Standards Awareness Project, said last year opposing the Trump action.
DeLaski and officials at Consumer Reports said there had been no public outcry or need for change. The Department of Energy’s database of 12,499 showerheads showed that 74% of them use 2 gallons (7.5 liters) or less of water per minute, which is 20% less than the norm federal.
A 2016 Consumer Reports showerhead test found that the top-rated showerheads, including a $ 20 model, provided pleasant water flow and met federal standards.
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