Amazon says 2.5 billion gallons water use at data centers

Amazon has publicly disclosed the water consumption of its global data center operations for the first time, revealing a withdrawal of approximately 2.5 billion gallons in 2025. The announcement, made on June 10, comes amid growing scrutiny of the environmental impact of data centers, particularly those supporting artificial intelligence.

The company reported that its water usage effectiveness, a key industry metric, was 0.12 liters per kilowatt-hour of electricity last year. Amazon claims this figure is roughly seven times more efficient than the industry average of 0.84 liters per kilowatt-hour. Despite expanding its operations, the company said water withdrawals at the data center sites it owns and operated directly decreased by 2% from 2024 to 2025 and have improved by 52% since 2021.

Amazon stated that about 90% of the time its facilities rely on outside air for cooling, only switching to evaporative water cooling during the hottest hours of the hottest days. The company has also raised the temperature threshold for activating water-based cooling systems to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, a move it says has reduced water use by up to 50% at some locations. To further curb freshwater...