The president Donald Trump has long complained about regulations aimed at protecting the planet, including modern rules that limit water flow in showers, as they make it difficult for him to wash his “beautiful hair.”
During his first term, Trump ordered the relaxation of the restrictions on showerheads implemented by Barack Obama, a measure that was reversed by his successor Joe Biden.
Now Trump will allow the water to flow again.
What was Trump’s executive order on water pressure?
On Wednesday, the president signed an executive order decreeing the immediate end of water conservation standards that restrict the amount of gallons per minute that flow through showers and other appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, and toilets.
“I like taking a good shower, taking care of my beautiful hair,” Trump declared on Wednesday while signing an executive order at the White House. “I have to be in the shower for 15 minutes until it gets wet. It drips, drop by drop. It’s ridiculous.”
“What one ends up doing is washing their hands five times more, so it’s the same water,” he added.
The order instructs Energy Secretary Chris Wright to immediately rescind what Trump described as an “excessively complicated federal rule” that redefined the word “showerhead” during the last two Democratic presidencies.
What is the regulation that Trump wants to eliminate?
Biden and Obama imposed restrictions on the flow of water in showerheads and other appliances. The standards aimed to make dishwashers, showers, refrigerators, washing machines, and toilets use less energy and water.
But the regulations “turned a basic home item into a bureaucratic nightmare,” said the White House in a fact sheet.
This memo is far from being technical and seems more like a propaganda pamphlet aimed at highlighting the political dogma of the current President of the United States: “MAGA” (Make America Great Again).
In fact, the fact sheet is titled “President Donald J. Trump Makes America’s Showers Great Again”. One of the paragraphs highlights that “showerheads will no longer be weak and worthless” and that “the changes (from Obama and Biden) served a radical green agenda that made life worse for everyday Americans”.
Criticism of Trump’s decision
The Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP), which advocates for energy efficiency, pointed out that the standards imposed during President Biden’s administration reduced utility bills and protected the environment.
Showers account for around 20% of the daily water usage indoors in an average American family, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Water-saving showerheads also save energy, as heating water accounts for about one-fifth of the energy usage in an average household.
Andrew deLaski, executive director of ASAP, said that consumer reviews consistently show that the majority of showerheads currently being sold “have a high flow. So, with the showers currently available, there is actually no problem to solve.”
DeLaski referred to Trump’s order as a maneuver aimed at circumventing a 1992 energy efficiency law, and predicted a similar outcome to Trump’s actions during his first term, when none of the major shower manufacturers made significant changes to their products.