As cloud computing, video streaming services, and artificial intelligence systems rapidly gain popularity worldwide, Amazon announced that it used up to 2.5 billion gallons (approximately 9.5 billion liters) of water to cool its massive data centers that power these systems throughout 2025.
According to the company, most of their data centers use natural air cooling by utilizing outside air for nearly the entire year. However, during extremely hot seasons, they primarily rely on water-based cooling systems to protect servers from overheating and potential damage.
Notably, despite Amazon expanding its global infrastructure, data center water consumption in 2025 decreased by approximately 2 percent compared to 2024.
Furthermore, according to industry-reviewed standards, Amazon's data centers consume 7 times less water than the industry average for comparable operations.
The company has set a goal to become water positive by 2030, meaning it will return more water to the community than it uses. In 2025, for every 4 gallons of water consumed, the company was able to return approximately 3 gallons to the environment through water replenishment projects.
Currently, as demand for AI and cloud computing continues to rise, environmental organizations and investors are increasingly scrutinizing the water and energy consumption of large data centers, particularly those located in water-scarce regions.
Amazon clarified that the 2.5 billion gallons announced represents only the water directly used and consumed by the data centers, and does not include indirect water consumption from electricity generation for the data centers.
Ref: Technology Innovation
