Biden reverses Trump-era showerhead rule that sought to increase water flow

• The Biden administration will reverse a Trump-era rule on showerhead water flow.
• Last December, the Trump administration reversed an Obama-era rule on the issue.
• Since 1992, federal law has stipulated that showerheads should not put out more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute.

The Biden administration is set to reverse a Trump-era rule that would have loosened restrictions on the water flow from showerheads, an issue that generated complaints from the former president during his tenure in office, according to The Associated Press.

The Energy Department is returning to the standard that was approved in 2013, noting that most showerheads already provide an ample amount of water for a thorough wash.

Most commercial showerheads are already aligned with the 2013 rule, so the policy change will have little impact among consumers.

Showerheads that could generate the additional supply of water that former President Donald Trump sought are not widely available, Energy officials said.

Since 1992, federal law has stipulated that showerheads should not put out more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute.

However, as newer showerheads were introduced into the market, the administration of former President Barack Obama modified the restrictions to reflect the total amount of water that came out of any nozzles. If a showerhead had three nozzles, for example, no more than 2.5 gallons of water total could be released from all three nozzles per minute.

The Trump rule, which was instituted last December, allowed for each nozzle to release a maximum of 2.5 gallons of water per minute instead of the standard applying to the entire showerhead.

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The rule change, which would return to the Obama-era standard, is slated to published in the Federal Register next week.

The general public will then have 60 days to comment on the proposal before a final rule is devised, according to The Associated Press.

Energy officials estimated that the previous rule saved US households roughly $38 a year and believe that returning to the old standard will yield similar savings.

Kelly Speakes-Backman, the acting assistant secretary for the department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, touted the move on Friday.

"As many parts of America experience historic droughts, this commonsense proposal means consumers can purchase showerheads that conserve water and save them money on their utility bills," she said.

Trump, in pushing for the change under his administration, mentioned that his hair needed to be "perfect."

"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 last year. "So what do you do? You just stand there longer or you take a shower longer? Because my hair - I don't know about you, but it has to be perfect."

Conservation groups were not too keen on the 2020 rule change.

Andrew deLaski, the executive director of the energy conservation group Appliance Standards Awareness Project, told The Associated Press that with four or more nozzles "you could have 10, 15 gallons per minute powering out of the showerhead, literally probably washing you out of the bathroom."

"At a time when a good portion of the country is experiencing serious drought exacerbated by climate change, there's no place for showerheads that use needless amounts of water," he said.