Amazon Data Centers Consumed 2.5 Billion Gallons of Water in 2025

Amazon disclosed on June 12, 2026, that its global data centers consumed 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025. The figure comes from a blog post by Amazon Web Services as anti data center protests increasingly focus on water usage.

The 2.5 billion gallons represent a 2 percent decrease from 2024 even though Amazon expanded the number of facilities it owns and operates. The company did not disclose water usage changes at leased sites, which total roughly 28.5 million square feet.

Efficiency claim and data granularity

AWS stated that its data centers used 0.12 liters of water per kilowatt hour in 2025. The company said that is seven times more efficient than the industry average of 0.84 L/kWh. Amazon included a graphic comparing its performance to Google, though the chart compared all of Amazon's facilities against Google's more power intensive AI specific data centers. Amazon did not account for indirect water use at power plants supplying electricity or water used during construction. It did not disclose site-level water consumption figures, unlike Google and Meta which provide per facility data.

Key details from Amazon's disclosure:

• Amazon's owned data center and office space totaled 28.37 million square feet in 2025; leased space was 28.47 million square feet.
• Free air cooling is used approximately 90 percent of the time across Amazon's data centers.
• 26 facilities use 100 percent reclaimed water, and another 130 facilities have contracts for reclaimed water globally.
• Amazon did not specify what percentage of the 2.5 billion gallons came from reclaimed sources.
• The company reaffirmed its goal to be water positive by 2030, stating it is about 75 percent of the way toward that target.

Context and growing scrutiny

The disclosure arrives as community opposition to data center construction intensifies, with water consumption a central concern. While 2.5 billion gallons is modest compared to agricultural uses (California's almond orchards use 1.3 to 1.6 trillion gallons annually), critics note that data centers often draw from potable water supplies. Amazon's 26 reclaimed water facilities are a fraction of its total footprint, and the lack of a reclaimed water percentage leaves a gap in transparency.

Amazon plans to continue expanding its data center portfolio to support cloud and AI workloads. The company has not committed to site-level water reporting but says it will publish annual updates on its water positive progress. As regulators and local communities push for more detailed environmental disclosures, Amazon may face pressure to match the granularity offered by its hyperscale peers.