Trump Aims to Revamp Shower Regulations with New Executive Order

In a bid to “make America’s showers great again,” Donald Trump has signed an executive order to ease water flow restrictions on showerheads, allowing for greater water discharge per minute and criticizing previous regulations as burdensome.

Donald Trump is taking decisive action to reshape American shower experiences, signing an executive order aimed at rolling back strict water flow regulations which he believes have made showers less enjoyable. This initiative is being branded as a move to “make America's showers great again.”

According to the White House, Trump is directing the energy secretary to eliminate a restriction instituted during Barack Obama’s presidency, which limited the combined water output of multi-nozzle showers to 2.5 gallons per minute. Trump has referred to these regulations as part of a "radical green agenda" that complicates daily life for Americans.

In his view, the time needed to fully wet his hair is excessively long due to the low water pressure imposed by these rules. Consumer and environmental advocacy groups, however, contend that altering these regulations would be both wasteful and unnecessary. The Appliance Standards Awareness Project emphasizes the benefits of existing efficiency standards, which have been in place for over 30 years, including reduced water waste and lower utility bills for consumers.

The restrictions on showerheads were established under a 1992 energy law, which Obama sought to redefine as part of an Energy Conservation Program, applying the 2.5 gallons per minute limit to the total output of all nozzles instead of to each nozzle individually. This change was reversed by Trump in 2020, but President Joe Biden reinstated the earlier definition upon taking office, which his administration has described as a "war on water pressure."

Trump’s latest order comes with a promise to restore the original understanding of "showerhead" under the 1992 law, aiming to eliminate regulatory hurdles. Following the signing in the Oval Office, he voiced his frustrations about shower pressures, echoing similar complaints he made during his previous term about the inadequacy of low-pressure showerheads when it comes to achieving a perfect hairstyle.

The White House asserts that these new changes will be effective 30 days after the energy secretary officially removes the existing definition, purporting that no longer will Americans be subjected to weak, ineffective showerheads. As the debate continues, the balance between conservation efforts and consumer preferences takes center stage in this latest decision.