Overview
- AWS disclosed Sunday that its global data‑center operations withdrew about 2.5 billion gallons (roughly 9 billion litres) of water in 2025, the company’s first absolute annual figure for withdrawals.
- The company reported a water‑usage effectiveness of 0.12 L/kWh, a 52% improvement since 2021, and said withdrawals at facilities it directly owns fell about 2% versus 2024 as it increased air cooling and reclaimed‑water use.
- Amazon set a goal to be “water positive” by 2030 and reported using reclaimed water at dozens of sites while signing agreements for many more, but it excludes indirect water tied to power generation and construction from its total.
- Local governments and permitting bodies have already paused new data‑center projects and imposed disclosure rules because large facilities are often sited in water‑stressed basins and evaporative cooling can deplete local supplies.
- Independent studies show far larger risks at scale: UNU‑INWEH projects global data‑center water demand could roughly double by 2030 and CEEW estimates India’s center usage may more than double by 2030, which would heighten community conflicts and planning needs.