Shower tower maker faces $1.9 million fine

Hudson Reed, a maker of plumbing fixtures based in the United Kingdom, might receive a soaking of its own for missing U.S. federal water-conservation standards.

A showerhead must meet federal regulations to deliver no more than 2.5 gallons per minute at a pressure of 80 pounds per square inch. Shower towers usually have multiple sprays and jets, each of which can provide up to 2.5 gpm. But as we reported in our October 2009 Lab Tests, the $730 Hudson Reed Theme Thermostatic AS333 main showerhead alone put out 3.95 gpm, on average. We believe that the federal standard should set limits for the overall flow of multiple-head systems.

After our article was published, the Department of Energy requested data from Hudson Reed on the AS333 and proposed a $1.9 million fine for that and 63 other products. Fifteen products from three other manufacturers are also under investigation.

"We are encouraging people to come to us with test data that they have," said Scott Blake Harris, general counsel for the DOE. "But anytime we see credible evidence of a possible violation, such as published in Consumer Reports, we open an investigation."

Harris said the DOE plans to clarify existing water-conservation rules for a shower unit that has multiple heads.

At press time, Hudson Reed had to pay the penalty or negotiate a lesser amount by April 15, after which the DOE would seek the whole amount in court.