Biden's administration reverses Trump's policy of easing shower standards

US President Joe Biden's administration is reversing a Trump-era rule approved after the former president complained he wasn't getting wet enough because of limits on water flow from showerheads.

Now, with a new president in office, the Energy Department is going back to a standard adopted in 2013, saying it provides plenty of water for a good soak and a thorough clean.

The rule change will have little practical effect, since nearly all commercially made showerheads comply with the 2013 rule, the pet peeve of the former president notwithstanding.

Trump had complained last year in July at a White House event that water does not flow strongly enough from showers to his liking. "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," he said at the event.

In his climate plan, Biden had said he would direct the department to issue new efficiency standards to conserve water and avoid wastage.

Since 1992, federal law has dictated that new showerheads should not pour more than 2.5 gallons (9.5 liters) of water per minute.

As newer shower fixtures came out with multiple nozzles, the Obama administration defined the showerhead restrictions to apply to what comes out in total. So if there are four nozzles, no more than 2.5 gallons total should come out among all four.

Due to concerns about shrinking US water supplies, the federal government has regulated faucet and showerhead water flow since at least 1994, when Democrat Bill Clinton was president.

The EPA has long helped consumers go beyond federal water conservation standards. It sponsors WaterSense, a voluntary program on water-efficient showerheads and other products.

The EPA’s website says that saving every drop counts because “water managers in at least 40 states expect local, statewide, or regional water shortages to occur over the next several years.”

(With inputs from agencies)