Tech
Half of US Homes Have PFAS in the Water. A Filtered Pitcher Can Help
This does not amount to an antimicrobial certification, hence Lifestraw’s caution to market the device for anything but municipal water. But if my primary worry were the bacteria or mold known to potentially accumulate in other water filters and pitchers, I would certainly spring for this Lifestraw. The same IAPMO India lab data also shows good removal of PFAS and PFOA “forever chemicals,” though not quite to the levels of my top filter picks.
This doesn’t mean the filter is perfect. The Home’s tall dual-stage filter, comprising both a membrane filter and a replaceable activated carbon filter, causes the 10-cup Lifestraw to be quite lofty for a fridge pitcher: about 13 inches tall. It only fits in my refrigerator because I’d already removed a shelf to allow for tall bottles and meal kit boxes.
The Lifestraw filter is also among the slowest I’ve tested, requiring more than 20 minutes to filter on the 10-cup pitcher. And while it removes free chlorine, it does not remove chloramine—a more stable disinfectant found in about half of municipal water systems. And so if your city uses chloramine to treat its water and you’re sensitive to the aroma, be forewarned.
For those especially worried about plastic even after filtering out microplastics, Lifestraw also makes a glass version of its 7-cup water pitcher. But note that the filter housing is plastic, and so this still won’t make for an entirely plastic-free water pitcher.
Other Water Filters Tested
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Waterdrop 10-Cup Lucid Water Filter Pitcher for $21: Waterdrop is a decade-old, California-based company best known for innovative countertop reverse osmosis water filters. This hands-free water filter pitcher from Waterdrop is a much more economical option than most filters; in fact, it’s the cheapest filter I’ve tested. It also sports a weirdly likable design, with a little hinged lid that’ll drop down almost frictionlessly to accept even a trickle of water into its reservoir before snapping back shut. The water filter is also the fastest I tested, dripping through a full reservoir in less than two minutes, and it’s certified to NSF standards for lead-free manufacturing and chlorine removal. Its makers also claim to have tested filtration to NSF standards on 372 other substances. So far, so good. But lab results aren’t posted publicly, nor is the identity of the third-party lab. My own testing showed that the filter is less successful at filtering chloramine, the substance used for disinfection of municipal water in half of American cities. The filter removed about 75 percent of chloramine, far worse performance than my top-pick filters.
Tech
Datacentre developers tout benefits to local communities, but do they deliver? | Computer Weekly
Aaron Saran is worried about his family business. His freight distribution company PNL, which has been based in Southall in west London for 30 years, had to move last year after a developer bought the industrial site it operated from to build a datacentre.
PNL’s new premises are smaller and lack a warehouse. Saran found it hard to find a suitable space with reasonable rent and is concerned he will have to move out of Southall and away from clients.
“One side of the business is already gone,” he said. “We don’t know how to grow.”
Neighbouring businesses at PNL’s former location on the International Trading Estate told Computer Weekly they, too, are worse off as a result of the development.
There are around 200 datacentres in the UK, and most artificial intelligence (AI) datacentres are still in planning or under construction. The UK government has gone so far as to designate datacentres as critical national infrastructure, and has announced “AI growth zones” for datacentre construction in parts of the country.
Although datacentres fulfil key functions, powering everything from chatbots to medical imaging, they have prompted protests, controversy and growing scrutiny. AI is driving a sharp increase in datacentre energy demand, with some projections suggesting it will exceed the electricity use of cryptocurrency mining at its peak. And research shows that datacentre energy consumption is straining local power grids and contributing to higher electricity costs for nearby residents.
Developers, meanwhile, are seeing the value of community support and are touting the benefits the developments can bring, from funding for local infrastructure, education and training, to the creation of jobs.
But can these benefits – which rely heavily on negotiation and the goodwill of the developer – make up for the impact a development has?
Can datacentres deliver local benefits?
In Southall, home to a large South Asian community and a significant number of small to medium-sized enterprises, businesses have faced challenges due to rising rents and a decrease in industrial estate capacity. The growing AI datacentre industry – along with other large players such as film studios – is one reason for this, according to a study from Ealing Council in 2022, which noted that “strong demand” for industrial space “could displace small businesses”.
Rent for industrial estates has risen “to a stupid level”, says Saran, making it untenable for transport and logistics companies such as his to stay where they are and close to their customer base. “Local businesses are being pushed out, 15 to 30 miles away,” he says, which he predicts will lead to price increases for customers. “The only way we could possibly grow is by leaving west London altogether. If I do relocate, most of my staff will leave,” he adds.
As a gesture to businesses affected by its development at the industrial estate in Southall, the developer, GTR – backed by private equity firm KKR – has agreed to provide £750,000 towards a “local economy management plan”. This plan is part of a larger agreement called an S106, which is a legally binding contract between a developer and a local planning authority, used to mitigate the impact of a new development on the local area. The agreement also involves the developer committing additional sums in the tens of millions towards training, education and infrastructure improvements in Southall.
According to John Booth, managing director of sustainability-focused IT consultancy Carbon3IT, the implied function of these community benefits agreements is clear: they can be seen as a “bribe” to help “get a project over the line”.
Agreements aim to mitigate local impact
The scope of such an agreement can be broad, although it must be tied in some way to the nature of the development. Agreed-upon benefits can range from money for training and education, to revamped local parks, healthcare and infrastructure.
The plan for the datacentre in Southall aims to “address potential disruption arising from the loss of traditional industrial units” by “assisting affected businesses” and providing “support for business relocations to minimise economic disruption”.
Computer Weekly spoke with six businesses on Saran’s old estate, which said they had been adversely affected by the development. They claimed they had not received the support they needed, and that they had not heard of a plan to help “affected businesses”.
Some companies said they had lost business as a result of the move, and several said they were struggling to find an affordable site to move to. Two businesses said they had been evicted after struggling to move, with one – metalworks firm Makson’s – being asked to pay £1,800 plus VAT per day for a security guard to let them in to get their belongings back, as well as legal costs of £1,750 plus VAT (halved from £3,500 plus VAT, as a gesture of goodwill).
GTR told Computer Weekly that Ealing Council was responsible for managing and delivering the plan to help affected businesses. Ealing Council did not respond to questions from Computer Weekly.
“The GTR team has worked closely with all tenants throughout the process, and we continue to assist those who remain on site. Supporting tenants effectively [and] efficiently is a priority for us, and a professional commitment that we take very seriously,” said GTR founder and CEO Franek Sodzawiczny in an emailed comment.
Why community engagement makes commercial sense
As people globally have pushed back against datacentre developments, engaging with communities has become a commercial decision, according to industry experts.
Corporations are considering their interactions with communities more carefully, with a focus on messaging. In the US, Big Tech has spent a lot on advertising to help the image of datacentres.
In some instances, corporations have taken a more outwardly aggressive tack. At the end of January, the chief executives of American datacentre company Digital Realty, Blackstone-owned datacentre operator QTS and Japanese IT services company NTT Data announced that their companies would go “on the offensive” around datacentres.
“We stand on the foundation that we’re doing the right things in these communities,” said co-chief executive of QTS, Tag Greason, quoted in the Financial Times. “Going a little bit on the offensive is part of the plan for a number of us because the opposition is definitely on the offensive.”
But others – including OpenAI and Microsoft – see value in a more cuddly approach. In January, Microsoft announced its intention to build “community-first AI infrastructure”. That move came after the corporation was compelled to axe a datacentre development in Wisconsin in October 2025 after local protests. A few days later, OpenAI announced its developments would be “locally tailored” for each site and “driven by community input and local concerns”.
There are practical reasons to focus on community benefits, according to Venessa Moffat, executive director of UK industry body the Datacentre Alliance. “Structured community partnerships reduce organised opposition and cut planning delays” that could cost a developer tens of millions, wrote Moffat in a document shared with Computer Weekly.
Benefits vary widely across the UK
The UK has seen its share of opposition to datacentres, in the form of council refusals, protests and an ongoing legal case that objects to the lack of an environmental impact assessment.
In Hertfordshire village Abbots Langley, a controversial datacentre by developer Greystoke was given a green light by the government after the local council initially rejected it. Despite having been “deeply disappointed” when the development was pushed through, local council leader Stephen Giles-Medhurst seemed optimistic when he spoke to Computer Weekly in January.
“We all realised the chances of getting this refused were zero,” he said. “We have to move with the times.” Developer Greystoke was “receptive and open”, according to Giles-Medhurst, who added: “If we can get this right, we can get some real tangible benefits for the community.”
The benefits at Abbots Langley include a nature reserve and around £12m towards a local training and skills fund. Approximately £105,000 more will go to development-related sustainable transport. There are also plans for infrastructure to channel waste heat to a nearby housing development. The council is still in talks with the developer to negotiate further benefits, said Giles-Medhurst.
In the UK, the benefits a datacentre can bring to an area vary widely and can depend on the negotiating power of the council and the willingness of the developer to comply. Although this is the first datacentre to be built in Abbots Langley, Giles-Medhurst cited the council’s experience with Warner Brothers, which has been in the area since 2010, as giving the council knowledge of what could be asked for.
Developers often employ planning consultants. This can create “an imbalance of power” due to the complicated nature of the negotiations, said Kath Scanlon, distinguished policy fellow at the London School of Economics and deputy director at LSE London, an urban research group.
Negotiating leverage can also depend on site and location, said Scanlon. Land that is particularly valuable, such as in London and the South-East, gives the council more clout to get funding.
As a result, some agreements show a variety of benefits with higher sums involved, while others are more limited in their contributions.
For example, the GTR development in Southall has allocated a minimum of £20m in its community benefits agreement for highway improvement, air quality mitigation, carbon offsetting, employment and training, cycle infrastructure, bus services and street improvement, as well as an improvement to a bridge.
Meanwhile, the West London Technology Park development in Iver, Buckinghamshire, by Greystoke is set to receive £5m towards air quality mitigation. The development is the subject of a legal case that raises objections to the lack of an environmental impact assessment. The council had rejected two planning applications since 2022, but the appeal by Greystoke against the second of these was “recovered” by the newly installed Labour government in mid-2025.
As a result, benefit negotiations were overseen by the Planning Inspectorate rather than the council.
Nscale’s AI Campus in Loughton
There are other developments without this type of benefit agreement. These include Nscale’s Loughton AI Campus and the Cobalt Park development in Newcastle, associated with OpenAI.
When asked, a spokesperson for Nscale said the application had been made by a different company, and Nscale took it over with planning terms already in place. The spokesperson said Epping Forest Council had “opted to secure all requirements via 21 planning conditions rather than an S106 agreement”.
“Nscale was not a party to those original discussions, but as the new operator, we are fully committed to complying with all 21 conditions – including infrastructure and environmental safeguards,” said the spokesperson.
For Cobalt Park, developer Highbridge Properties, North Tyneside Council and OpenAI did not respond to questions about why an S106 wasn’t required.
Others involve large sums that aren’t mentioned in an S106. Investment management company Blackstone announced a development in Blyth, Northumberland, that included £110m to be put towards “long-term investment in growth and employment opportunities” in the region, but it wasn’t included in the development’s benefits agreement.
Why some perks are controversial
Meanwhile, some negotiated benefits have caused controversy. In a community feedback document from Greystoke’s Abbots Langley application, residents expressed derision about the proposed nature reserve.
“The communities of Abbots Langley and Bedmond can already access and walk among the existing green belt land via local footpaths,” wrote one resident. “Therefore, the ‘country park’ being put forward as a so-called benefit by the developers does not offer any gain and brings no additional benefit for local people or the environment.”
Another local resident wrote that the reserve’s location is “somewhat remote from the local population and with poor vehicular access”.
Another commenter accused the developers of seeking “to bribe local people with the idea of a country park”, adding: “This insults our intelligence. They would be giving us nothing.”
Council leader Giles-Medhurst acknowledged this view, but said it was “part of the planning permission”.
Can datacentres deliver on jobs?
Another widely advertised benefit that has caused controversy is jobs. The creation of thousands of jobs is often advertised as part of a datacentre’s benefits, but reporting has shown that most of these are short-term construction jobs.
“I don’t think it’s a plausible way to address growth at the whole economy level,” says economist and former Labour party adviser James Meadway, speaking of AI datacentre developments, claiming datacentres are “not going to create [many] jobs”.
In Southall, some businesses from the industrial estate are still waiting to be served their notice to vacate, while others continue to search for other sites and deal with the disruption to their businesses.
“This situation has affected our live projects, staff livelihoods and the families that depend on their income for living, [as well as] the overall business,” said director and co-owner of Makson’s, Pritesh Makwana.
As in the UK, proposed datacentre construction in the US is undergoing a geographical shift.
There, the datacentre pipeline is shifting towards the centre of the country, with Texas and other midwestern states being the main beneficiaries. That’s due to a combination of available power and maturing technologies that can mitigate water use, especially in potentially water-constricted states such as Texas.
That’s according to US datacentre analyst Synergy, which looked at the current US datacentre footprint and future plans of the world’s major cloud and datacentre operators.
These hyperscalers and large datacentre operators had 1,360 operational sites at the end of 2025, of which 580 are in the US. Synergy calculates 437 more datacentres are proposed for the US in coming years (of a total 803 worldwide).
As Computer Weekly found for the UK, the datacentre pipeline far exceeds the capacity of that currently installed, reflecting the fact that planned datacentres – aimed at massively dense and power-hungry artificial intelligence (AI) workloads – are likely to be built at much larger capacities than hitherto.
John Dinsdale, chief analyst at Synergy Research Group, said: “As infrastructure constraints intensify and market dynamics continue to shift, hyperscale providers are increasingly reallocating capital toward central US regions, with Texas emerging as the primary focal point.
“A new wave of GW-scale campuses is taking shape in non-traditional locations such as Abilene, Mount Pleasant, South Bend, El Paso, Boone County and Kansas City. While established hubs will remain strategically important, the centre of gravity for new hyperscale investment is clearly moving elsewhere.”
Datacentre alley
Having said that, Virginia seems set to retain its “datacentre alley” crown due to a combination of location, power availability and local tax regimes. But western states such as Oregon and Nevada are likely to decline due to electricity grid constraints, cessation of tax breaks and friction with green energy goals.
Here, Virginia – transited by 70% of the world’s internet traffic – has benefitted from being close to major government and commercial centres, is home to the world’s highest density of dark fibre, has seen massive tax incentives, and is geographically and meteorologically “boring” in that it is largely free from earthquakes, wildfires and tornadoes.
While Virginia has benefitted from being the historical nexus of the internet and a specially-constructed infrastructure with low prices, it is now subject to strain on its power grid.
In the Midwest, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Missouri will all grow rapidly in importance, as they have attracted multiple major projects from Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI and CoreWeave.
Texas is set to benefit from the coming wave of datacentre construction in the US as a result of abundant power. Its Electric Reliability Council of Texas is largely independent – physically and in terms of oversight – from the rest of the US. This has allowed for faster grid connections than elsewhere.
And while Texas is drought-prone, when it comes to planned datacentre development, it is hoped this will be mitigated by evolution towards closed-loop liquid cooling in which relatively little water is used, compared with evaporative cooling that can waste tens of millions of litres per datacentre per day.
That said, developers are selecting areas with some water resilience, such as Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio, which make heavy use of recycled water for industry and other uses.
Finally, more mature datacentre regions such as Oregon and Nevada are projected to lose market share, and may struggle to transition to gigawatt-scale datacentres.
In Oregon, reasons include pauses on tax breaks, a backlash against preferential rates on energy given to datacentre operators, and increased protection of forests and farmlands that has squeezed potential datacentre construction sites.
Nevada, meanwhile, is suffering electricity constraints. It has a legal mandate for 50% renewable energy by 2030, while the state’s largest utility has said it will need three times the electricity to power Las Vegas to meet proposed datacentre demand.
If you Ask any bike shop owner or manager if they fix electric bikes, you get an interesting array of stories.
“I know a guy who has lost a finger working on ebikes,” says MacKenzie Hardt, owner of Hardt Family Cyclery in Aurora, Colorado, and the former executive director of the nonprofit bike shop and community hub Bikes Together. Hardt has torn tendons in his own hand after accidentally triggering a cadence sensor that caused the wheel to spin out of control on the stand, even when the motor and battery were disconnected.
He now has a message on the company voicemail that informs customers the shop will not repair any ebike without third-party UL 2849 certification, the gold standard that certifies that an ebike’s entire package, from electrical drive train to battery to charger system, has been thoroughly tested. (Check out our guide to How to Buy an Electric Bike for more info.)
The Wild, Wild West
A lot of the problem in fixing ebikes is related to the fact that a surprising number of electric vehicles that are sold as ebikes are not, in fact, ebikes. According to PeopleForBikes, the third-party advocacy group, an ebike is a low-speed electric vehicle that “closely resembles traditional bicycles in their equipment, handling characteristic, size, and speed.”
A mechanic works on a bicycle.Photograph: Dikushin/Getty Images
In 46 states, all ebikes fall under a Class 1, 2, or 3 distinction. The distinction depends on the bike’s maximum motor-assisted speed and how it’s powered. However, many ebikes sold online are way more powerful than the maximum 28 mph speed allowed on a Class 3 ebike, and they operate more like a moped or even a motorcycle.
“That’s really the heart and soul of the service problem,” says Cory Oseland, manager of the Ski Hut, a high-end bike shop in Duluth, Minnesota. “Once you slide out of the three classes, you run into a lot of parts and equipment that aren’t part of the bike industry.”
Repairing an ebike can also land the shop in a quagmire of liability issues. As bike shops are part of the product liability chain, they can be held responsible if they so much as inflate a tire on an electric vehicle and the rider later injures themselves or another person. Ebike-related injuries have jumped more than 1,020 percent nationwide from 2020 to 2024, according to hospital data, so this is not an unforeseen occurrence. “I have known people who have lost their shirt,” says Hardt.
In most states, if the bike doesn’t fit the Class 1-3 classification system, the shop’s insurance will likely be null and void. The problem, says Hardt, is that “we don’t regulate nationally what an ebike is. What is legal here may not be legal somewhere else.” Working on an unregulated bike, he adds, “is like if somebody brought in a Tesla to fix.”
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