Amazon’s data centers used 2.5 billion gallons of water last year
Amazon has disclosed its global data center operations consumed 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025, amidst growing concerns over water and energy use. This announcement comes after Seattle enacted a one-year data center moratorium. Amazon asserts its data centers are more water-efficient than rivals like Microsoft, Google, and Meta.
Amazon has released its annual water usage data for the first time, reporting that its global data center operations consumed 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025. This disclosure follows Seattle's recent enactment of a one-year moratorium on new data center construction, an initiative partially supported by Amazon's own employees.
The company claims a water consumption rate of 0.12 liters per kilowatt-hour, a two percent reduction from 2024 despite operational expansion. Amazon further asserts its data centers are seven times more water-efficient than the industry average, and more efficient than competitors like Microsoft, Google, and Meta, citing data from their reports. However, Amazon's figures do not account for indirect water usage at power plants or during new construction.
Amazon states that its data centers primarily use air cooling about 90 percent of the time, reserving evaporative water cooling for the hottest periods and increasing server heat tolerances.