Amazon Discloses Data Center Water Usage, Claims Industry Leadership
Amazon has disclosed its global data center water consumption for 2025, reporting 2.5 billion gallons. The company claims this usage is below the industry average, citing an efficiency rate of 0.12 liters per kilowatt-hour. Amazon attributes this performance to increased reliance on air-based cooling and higher operating temperatures for equipment.
Key points
- Amazon's global data centers used 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025.
- The company reported a water usage effectiveness of 0.12L/kWh, claiming significant improvement over industry averages.
- Amazon stated its data centers utilize air-based cooling approximately 90% of the time.
- The company also increased safe operating temperatures for its data center equipment.
- Comparatively, Amazon reported using less water per kWh than rivals like Meta in 2024.
Amazon has provided specific figures for its global data center water usage in 2025, stating that its operations consumed 2.5 billion gallons. The tech giant emphasized that this amount positions them favorably compared to industry benchmarks, highlighting a water usage effectiveness (WUE) of 0.12 liters per kilowatt-hour (L/kWh).
According to Amazon, this efficiency represents a substantial improvement, with the company claiming it is seven times better than the average and has improved by 52% since 2021. A key factor cited for this reduction is the increased deployment of air-based cooling systems, which are used about 90% of the time. Water-intensive evaporative cooling methods are reportedly reserved for periods of extreme heat.
Further contributing to reduced cooling demands, Amazon has also raised the acceptable operating temperature thresholds for its server equipment. The company also noted its 2025 water usage was 2% lower than the previous year, despite data center expansion. In a comparison for 2024, Amazon's 0.15L/kWh figure was noted as being lower than Meta's 0.19L/kWh.
Sources
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