Trump signs executive order on water pressure to ‘restore shower freedom’

On Wednesday, Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at changing the federal definition of “showerhead,” which the White House described as a way to “end the Obama-Biden war on water pressure.”

Here are the key points:

- Longstanding Complaints: Trump has voiced concerns for years about inadequate water pressure in American showers, sinks, and toilets, attributing the issue to federal water-conservation standards.

- Personal Anecdote: While signing the order, Trump expressed frustration with weak shower water pressure, stating, “In my case, I like to take a nice shower to take care of my beautiful hair,” and described the current experience as “drip, drip, drip.”

- White House Statement: The administration claimed that the order would restore “shower freedom” and eliminate unnecessary regulations, prioritizing American preferences.

- Expert Opinion: Andrew deLaski, executive director at the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, noted that it was unusual for the White House to emphasize shower heads and toilets as presidential priorities, suggesting that Trump’s concerns are somewhat outdated.

- Previous Comments: Trump reiterated long-held beliefs about water pressure, previously claiming that people need to flush toilets multiple times due to lack of pressure, and noted similar frustrations in new homes as recently as 2023.

- Past Actions: During his first term, Trump rolled back stricter energy-efficiency standards for appliances, which drew criticism from figures like Xavier Becerra, who labeled the decisions as detrimental to energy conservation.

- Biden Administration's Reversal: The Biden administration reversed many of Trump's actions related to appliance efficiency, and the White House criticized Biden for undoing progress on water pressure standards, stating that Trump’s new order would “make America’s showers great again.”