Overview
- Amazon reported that its global data‑center operations withdrew about 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025 and used 0.12 liters per kilowatt‑hour, a metric the company says is roughly seven times better than an adjusted industry estimate.
- On Thursday the company said water withdrawals at sites it owns and operates fell about 2 percent year‑over‑year even as its footprint expanded, and that it is about 75 percent of the way to a goal of returning more water than it consumes by 2030.
- Independent analysts and news outlets note important caveats in Amazon’s comparison because the company’s WUE figure excludes indirect water tied to power generation and construction and relies on a converted academic average rather than uniform industry reporting.
- Local governments are responding with tighter rules and limits, including Seattle’s unanimous one‑year moratorium on new large data centers, as communities worry concentrated withdrawals can strain local basins even when global shares look small.
- Broader research from the United Nations University and others warns AI data‑center growth could sharply raise water demand by 2030, which has led to calls for standardized disclosures, basin‑level planning, and clearer accounting of cooling methods and reclaimed water use.