Biden moves to drop Trump showerhead rule

The Biden administration is moving forward with a plan to drop a Trump-era rule that sought to loosen restrictions on showerhead water flow — something the former president was known to complain about.

The Energy Department announced on Friday that it is taking a step toward reversing the Trump administration’s move in order to tighten showerhead efficiency regulations.

Officials said they will propose a rule reinstating the 2013 definition of “showerhead,” which the Trump administration changed. The Trump rule from late last year sought to bypass a requirement allowing no more than 2.5 gallons to flow through a showerhead per minute.

In products containing multiple showerheads, each is considered separately under the Trump-era rule, while the Biden proposal would once again classify them all as the same showerhead to restrict the amount of water flow.

The department also said it didn’t expect its action to have a significant impact on the current marketplace, saying it has not found any new showerheads that have been introduced to the market under the Trump-era definition.

When that rule was put forward, environmental and consumer groups objected because such showerheads were expected to require the use of more energy and water. 

Then-President Trump, meanwhile, often complained about efficiency standards, saying they impacted his rinsing ability. 

“Showerheads — you take a shower, the water doesn’t come out. You want to wash your hands, the water doesn’t come out. 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. Perfect,” he said at an event last year. 

The showerhead rule is one of several efficiency rules the previous administration sought to roll back. The Biden administration has said it will review several of these policies — setting itself up for potential reversals.