Donald Trump is set to “make America’s showers great again” by lifting restrictions on water flow, according to the White House.
The US president is directing the energy secretary to eliminate a rule enacted by Barack Obama that limited multi-nozzle showers to a maximum of 2.5 gallons of water per minute in total.
This rule promoted “a radical green agenda that has negatively impacted Americans,” the White House stated, as Trump expressed frustration over the “absurd” duration it takes to wet his hair during a shower.
Consumer and conservation organizations have previously argued that altering the rules is unnecessary and wasteful.
As reported by the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, which released a factsheet in 2024, efficiency standards in the United States that were established over thirty years ago “reduce water waste… save consumers on their water and energy bills while also benefiting the environment.”
Under a 1992 energy regulation, showerheads in the US must not exceed 2.5 gallons (9.5l) of water per minute.
Obama’s administration introduced a redefinition through an Energy Conservation Program that applied this restriction to the total water flow of showers with multiple nozzles, rather than individually for each nozzle.
At the conclusion of Trump’s first term in 2020, he sought to permit each nozzle to discharge up to 2.5 gallons per minute.
However, Joe Biden reversed this decision upon taking office.
The current administration has characterized their initiatives as a “war on water pressure,” asserting that Americans “pay for their own water and should have the freedom to choose their showerheads without federal interference.”
Trump now aims to return to the “clear interpretation” of ‘showerhead’ defined in the 1992 statute.
According to the White House fact sheet: “The Order liberates Americans from excessive regulations that transformed a simple household item into a bureaucratic hassle.”
“Showerheads will no longer be weak and ineffective.”
The order stipulates that the amendment will take effect 30 days after the energy secretary issues a notice rescinding the existing definition.
While signing the order in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump remarked that it was “ridiculous” he has to stand under the water for 15 minutes for his “beautiful” hair to become wet, echoing sentiments he expressed in 2020.
At that time, he also voiced concerns about the inadequate water flow from shower heads, insisting that his hair “has to be perfect.”
