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Drought: California to get lowest-flow shower heads in the country
California Energy Commission has voted to set the toughest efficiency standards in the country for shower heads.
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Drought: California to get lowest-flow shower heads in the country
In its latest response to the drought, the California Energy Commission has voted to set the toughest efficiency standards in the country for shower heads.
The new rules cut the acceptable rate of flow for showerheads to about 70 percent of current standards, 2.5 gallons. As of next July, all shower heads sold in-state must meet a 2 gallon-per-minute requirement. In 2018, a lower 1.8 gallon-per-minute standard takes effect.
The move comes after energy regulators approved similarly-tough standards for urinals, toilets, and faucets in April.
Lower flow shower heads are already widespread; regulators say thirty percent of what’s on the market meets the 2 gallon-per-minute standard. According to Tracy Quinn, Natural Resources Defense Council policy analyst, the new standards will save as much water annually as the city of San Francisco uses each year.
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“Even if we weren’t in the midst of the worst drought California has seen in more than 1,000 years, these standards would still make sense,” Quinn said.
Quinn points out new shower technology focuses on making smaller water droplets with more surface area, so new showers have “a similar feel” to older, higher-pressure models.
This story has been updated.
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