Trump lets the water flow — again — as he reverses Biden rule restricting showerheads
By MATTHEW DALY
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has long complained about modern rules that limit water flow for showerheads, making it harder for him to wash his “beautiful hair.”
In his first term, Trump directed that restrictions on showerheads be loosened, an action that former President Joe Biden reversed.
Now Trump is going to let the water flow — again.
An executive order he signed Wednesday calls for an immediate end to water conservation standards that restrict the number of gallons per minute that flow through showerheads and other appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines and toilets.
“I like to take a nice shower, take care of my beautiful hair,” Trump said Wednesday as he signed an executive order at the White House. “I have to stand in the shower for 15 minutes until it gets wet. Comes out drip, drip, drip. It’s ridiculous.”
“What you do is you end up washing your hands five times longer, so it’s the same water,” he added. “And we’re going to open it up so that people can live.”
The order directs Energy Secretary Chris Wright to immediately rescind what Trump called the “overly complicated federal rule” that redefined the word showerhead under the last two Democratic presidents.
Biden and former President Barack Obama both imposed restrictions on water flow from showerheads and other appliances. The standards were intended to make dishwashers, showerheads, refrigerators, laundry machines and toilets use less energy and water.
But the regulations “turned a basic household item into a bureaucratic nightmare,” the White House said in a fact sheet. “No longer will showerheads be weak and worthless.”
The Appliance Standards Awareness Project, which advocates for energy efficiency, said the Biden-era standards cut utility bills and protect the environment.
Showers account for about 20% of the average American family’s daily indoor water use, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Water-saving showerheads also save energy, since heating water accounts for about a fifth of the average home’s energy use.
Andrew deLaski, executive director of ASAP, said consumer reviews consistently show that most showerheads currently sold “provide a great drenching. So there isn’t a problem to be solved here with the showerheads available today.”
He called Trump’s order a gimmick designed to get around a 1992 energy efficiency law, and he predicted a similar result to Trump’s actions during his first term, when no major showerhead manufacturer made significant changes to their products.