Energy Department Simplifies Water Conservation Standards by Repealing Cumbersome Legal Definition of 'Showerhead'

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is announcing the repeal of the legal definition of "showerhead" as codified in federal regulations. Pursuant to President Trump's April 9 executive order, Maintaining Acceptable Water Pressure in Showerheads, DOE published a final rule to the federal register that will restore the straightforward definition of "showerhead" established in the 1992 energy law, which sets a simple 2.5-gallons-per-minute standard for showers.

"Americans pay for their water and should be free to choose the showerheads they prefer. Thanks to President Trump's leadership, we are bringing that freedom back," said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Lou Hrkman. "This action substitutes a convoluted definition for a simple one, bringing common sense back to energy policymaking."

A previous federal rulemaking redefined "showerhead" as a "nozzle" and made multi-nozzle showers illegal if they collectively discharged over 2.5 gallons of water per minute. Today's rulemaking rolls back this overregulation.

This action marks another step in President Trump's commitment to lower costs and expand choice for American consumers. In addition to this rescission, DOE has officially withdrawn four conservation standards, including standards on electric motors, ceiling fans, dehumidifiers, and external power supplies, and further delayed the implementation of efficiency standards for walk-in coolers and freezers, efficiency standards for gas instantaneous water heaters, and test procedures for central air conditioning and heat pumps. The rescission will come into effect on Thursday, May 15, 2025. For further details, read the full text of the final rule on the Federal Register.