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Amazon says Its data centers are seven times more water-efficient as Seattle pauses new projects
Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced that its data centers are seven times more water-efficient than the industry average and it is 75% toward its goal of becoming water-positive by 2030. This announcement comes as the Seattle City Council recently enacted a one-year emergency moratorium on new large-scale data center construction within city limits. The industry faces increasing scrutiny over its water and energy consumption due to AI-fueled expansion.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced significant strides in its water conservation efforts, stating its data centers are now seven times more water-efficient than the industry average. The company claims to be 75% of the way toward its goal of becoming water-positive by 2030, meaning it aims to replenish more water than it consumes globally.
This declaration comes amidst growing concerns over the environmental footprint of data centers, particularly their water and energy demands, driven by the rapid expansion of AI technologies. In a related development, the Seattle City Council recently approved a one-year emergency moratorium on the construction of new large-scale data centers within the city limits.
AWS attributes its water savings to relying on fans for cooling approximately 90% of the time, utilizing outside air, and only employing evaporative cooling when outdoor temperatures exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit. By researching and implementing higher maximum operating temperatures for its hardware, AWS has reduced its water usage to 0.12 liters per kilowatt-hour of operations, significantly below the industry average of 0.84 liters. The company also noted the global data center industry accounts for a relatively small portion of industrial water consumption.
Other tech giants like Microsoft are also pursuing similar initiatives, pledging to improve water efficiency and achieve water-positive status by 2030. However, the industry still faces criticism regarding its expansion into water-stressed regions, with a 2025 Bloomberg report indicating nearly two-thirds of recent U.S. data center developments are in such areas. For instance, data scientist Simon Hans Edasi raised concerns about Amazon's planned $4.8 billion data center campus in Burbank, Washington, highlighting a trend of development in drier parts of the state. Last year, AWS consumed about 2.5 billion gallons of water across its global network, replenishing roughly three gallons for every four used.