DOE Proposal would Reverse Weakened Showerhead Standard, Aligns with AWE Lawsuit

Today the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) praised a Department of Energy (DOE) proposal to reverse changes to the federal definition of showerhead made under former President Trump that would have skirted federal standards adopted in 1994 that required showerheads to release no more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute. The Trump rules were adopted in December 2020 and allow each nozzle on a showerhead to meet that standard, which means showerheads with multiple nozzles bypass the standard and expel far more water, consume more energy, and increase customers’ utility bills. AWE, Environment America, and U.S. PIRG filed a lawsuit to block the changes, and DOE’s proposal would side with our appeal and revert to the previous federal standard. AWE and our partners also appealed a Trump-era rule that weakened water efficiency standards for clothes washers, and AWE is optimistic DOE will choose to reject those changes as well.

AWE President and CEO Ron Burke issued this statement:

“The DOE proposal would rightfully restore the successful showerhead water efficiency standard that has been in place since 1994. The rollback adopted in 2020 would waste billions of gallons of water, increase energy use and power plant emissions, and raise consumers’ water bills. And with much of the country struggling with drought, the 2020 changes could further compromise water supply availability for many water utilities.”