U.S. President Donald Trump has repealed water usage limits for household activities such as bathing, washing dishes, doing laundry, and cleaning cars — restrictions previously imposed by former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden to prevent water wastage.
On Friday, President Trump signed an executive order in the Oval Office in Washington. During a press briefing with journalists after the signing, he said, “I like to take showers. I like to take care of my beautiful hair, and for that, I need a great shower.”
“But when I stand under the shower, the water drips slowly, and it takes 15 minutes just to get my hair wet. It’s ridiculous.”
Trump further stated, “If it takes five times longer than usual just to wash your hands, then what are you supposed to do? So, the water is the same, and we are making it available to the people so that they can live.”
In 2009, after assuming office, Democratic Party leader and former president Barack Obama signed an executive order to reduce the wastage of potable water by limiting its use in household activities. As part of that order, restrictions were placed on water flow rates in residential pipelines, as higher water flow could lead to greater water wastage.
After Obama’s term ended, Donald Trump became President in 2017 and revoked several executive orders issued by his predecessor, including the one limiting water flow speed.
However, in the 2020 election, Trump was defeated by Democratic candidate Joe Biden. After taking office, Biden reinstated Obama’s executive order. On Friday, Trump repealed it once again.
In a statement released by the White House following Trump’s discussion with journalists, it was said, “Previous administrations, led by past presidents, had turned basic household tasks in the U.S. into a bureaucratic nightmare. From now on, showerheads and taps will no longer have weak water flow.”
Notably, Obama and Biden’s orders to limit water flow in households were based on the 1992 Energy Policy Act. The idea was that by controlling water flow and using water-efficient showerheads and faucets, electricity consumption could also be reduced.
In American households, about 20 percent of daily water usage comes from showers.
