Did You Know?

In May, the Department of Energy published an interpretive rule that establishes a definition for “shower head.” The draft interpretive rule clarifies that a showerhead is “any plumbing fitting that is designed to direct water onto a bather”– regardless of the shape, size, placement, or number of sprays or openings that it may have.

by David E. Benner

In May, the Department of Energy published an interpretive rule that establishes a definition for “shower head.” The draft interpretive rule clarifies that a showerhead is “any plumbing fitting that is designed to direct water onto a bather”– regardless of the shape, size, placement, or number of sprays or openings that it may have.

This ruling has caused quite a stir in the plumbing manufacturing, design and building industries. The rule has the potential to negatively impact many creative shower installations. The current EPA allowable flow rate is 2.5 gal/min. per shower head. The new interpretation by the Department will “ . . .find a showerhead to be noncompliant with EPCA’s maximum water use standard if the showerhead’s standard components, operating in their maximum design flow configuration, taken together, use in excess of 2.5 gpm when flowing at 80 psi, even if each component individually does not exceed 2.5 gpm.” The new rule essentially makes the definition of a “shower valve” the same as a “showerhead.” That potentially means that installing a simple tub/shower combination (like those found in most homes) would be in violation of Federal law. The total output would exceed the 2.5 gal/min. total maximum outflow. Multi-head showers would not be in compliance with the new rule, and the flexibility to have a fixed-head and a hand-held shower head could be in jeopardy as well. If this rule takes effect, consumer options will be drastically limited.

While it is important to find substantive ways to conserve water, this ruling by the Department of Energy seems to be too far-reaching.