Like everyone, I have some vices. At the top on my list is taking a really good shower with strong water pressure. Really, really strong water pressure. I don't need some fancy euro-trash designed shower head, just something that will deliver lots of water, fast. It is an obsession of mine, and on the scale of vices, I think it is fairly harmless.
I like feeling clean, and I like the good jolt of water to remove the dirt and grime. Also, I have a powerful mop of hair that is water resistant. It takes a good, strong flow of water to wet down the fro and wash out the shampoo. I need something with a water flow of 4.0 gallons per minute or higher. Yet, those of us who want teeth rattling water pressure have been deemed social parasites, and enemies of mother earth.
Try to find a shower head that deliver more than 2.5 gpm. If you can find one, let me know. I will pay good cash money for one, legality be damned. My old faithful Speakman head, which delivered a good 5.0 gpm once I removed the restrictor plate (yes, I am outlaw), is on its last legs. 15 years of good service, but it is clogged up. I need a replacement, and I can not find one. I could score drugs faster than I could an non-restricted shower head.
I realize that my offer to pay good cash for an "illegal" shower head makes me the enemy of the green movement. Why they have target just showers is a mystery to me. I am unaware of any other household restrictions on water flow; there are none for tubs, pools, washing machines, kitchen sinks, garden hoses or sprinkler systems. Only showers have been targeted. I had always felt that the whole savings via a low flow shower head was a crock. Green resources claim that a low flow shower head can result in water savings. By reducing the flow to 2.5 gpm (or 1.6 as some would want), an individual saves 28.2 gallons per month. That translates $6 a month, or $72 a year. Beyond being a pittance of an amount, this assumption is based on one faulty premise:
People spend the same amount of time in the shower with an unrestricted shower head as they will with a low flow shower head.
Bullocks, I say, bullocks. In hotels and other places with restricted flow, I spend twice as long in the shower trying to get clean (and never succeeding). My time, and the water used, increases. Add in the extra cost of running a fan and lights longer, and I waste more time and electricity in the shower just because some tree hugger who hasn't showered in the last year has dictated how much water is acceptable to use.
Interesting point on water: my job this last year has focused on the water industry, specifically leaky pipes. Water loss through transportation is a big problem. The average country losses between 25-40% of its water supply in transportation. So before it even gets to your home, basically one-third of your water supply is lost through leaks that you never see. If someone wants to reduce the amount of water wasted, start with fixing the leaks. If that idea is too practical, here are two others that would better address the problem of water conservation:
1. Become a vegetarian: Residential use of water is about 20% of the total used. Commercial is about 12%. The rest - approximately 67% of all water - is used in agriculture. Most water is used to grow food, and not all foods consume the same amount. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. Low flow showers save (what was it?) 28.2 gallons a month, or 338.4 per year. Tell you what, I promise that I will reduce my burger consumption by one burger per year, so I can have my water pressure back, and we'll call it even. The green movement will still come out ahead in water conservation.
2. Price water to the Market: water in the US is highly subsidized. In Europe, it is 5-10 times higher than in the US. Let the true cost of water be born by the consumers, and let those who value it pay for the amount they use. I will gladly pay for my water consumption; its my vice and I don't expect anyone else to carry the cost.
The part of unrestricted flow shower heads I can't get over is the irony of making them illegal. Consider this: Guns are legal, cigarettes are legal, both of which can kill you, or someone dear to you. Taking a shower is socially acceptable and hygienic, yet it is restricted.
Happy showering
