Low-flow shower heads: Hmmm?

Do a quick Google search for "low-flow shower heads" and you'll find a bevy of websites telling you that this is the best way to reduce your water consumption and save vast amounts of water each year. Eartheasy.com claims:

Installing Low-Flow shower heads and faucet aerators is the single most effective water conservation savings you can do for your home.

I decided that I must replace my shower head. Granted, disposing of an still-functioning shower head is wasteful, but perhaps in the long run, it will pay off. I walked to the local Ace Hardware and discovered a wall of shower heads, only one claimed to be "eco-friendly" and "low-flow." While its flow rate (gallons per minute, GPM) was slightly lower than others (2.2 versus 2.5 GPM), the "eco-friendly" version was rated using on a lower pressure. At equivalent water pressures, the "low-flow" version used just as much water as the tsunami version! Nearly every shower head was rated for 2.5 GPM. Unless your shower head is well above 2.5 GPM, I'd suggest keeping it.

Here are a few suggestions before you run out and buy a "low-flow" shower head:

1. Check your current shower head. Mine is rated at 1.75 GPM, and it even massages.
2. Take shorter showers. I tend to day dream in the shower, but reducing the length from 15 to 10 minutes can make a huge difference.
3. Turn off the water while lathering. You can pick up a flow control valve to be installed in-line with the shower head. It makes lathering easier, and a simple push of the button saves you from flidding with the temperature or flow settings.

Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Showerhead.JPG