💧Amazon's Data Centers Used 2.5 Billion Gallons of Water in 2025
Amazon claims its data centers are seven times more water-efficient than rivals
TL;DR
Amazon's global data center operations used 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025, a 2% drop from the previous year despite expansion. The company claims its efficiency outpaces rivals like Microsoft and Google.
Amazon revealed that its data centers consumed 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025, marking a slight 2% decrease from 2024 levels despite an increase in operations. This news highlights Amazon's push towards sustainability with evaporative cooling used sparingly and air cooling utilized for about 90% of the time. The company boasts its data centers are seven times more water-efficient than industry standards, based on a peer-reviewed research paper from last year.
Key Points
Amazon's data centers used 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025, a drop from the previous year.
Water consumption rate was 0.12 liters per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated by Amazon's facilities.
Microsoft topped the list with higher water usage per kilowatt-hour among major tech companies.
Google's data only includes its Gemini AI data centers, not all operations.
Indirect water use from power plants and new construction is excluded in Amazon's reported figures.
Why It Matters
Amazon's claim of seven times more efficiency than industry standards could sway data center location decisions for cloud services. However, the lack of indirect water usage data raises questions about the full environmental impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this matter?
Amazon's claim of seven times more efficiency than industry standards could sway data center location decisions for cloud services. However, the lack of indirect water usage data raises questions about the full environmental impact.
What happened?
Amazon's global data center operations used 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025, a 2% drop from the previous year despite expansion. The company claims its efficiency outpaces rivals like Microsoft and Google.
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