Amazon Reports 2.5 Billion Gallons of Water Use at Its Data Centers
*Amazon disclosed its global data center water consumption for 2025, a figure released shortly after Seattle imposed a one-year moratorium on new facilities.*
Amazon.com Inc. stated that its data centers worldwide consumed 2.5 billion gallons of water last year. The company placed the total at roughly 5 percent of annual consumption for metro Seattle.
The disclosure came days after the city council passed the moratorium, an action supported by some Amazon employees. Amazon described the 2025 volume as a 2 percent decline from 2024, achieved even while operations expanded. It reported an efficiency rate of 0.12 liters of water per kilowatt-hour of electricity used.
The company said its performance compared favorably with certain other large technology operators. It released the data in a report that included a comparison graphic, marking what observers described as the first public release of these specific figures.
Reactions
No statements from competitors or regulators appear in the available reports. The Verge noted ongoing public debate over water and energy demands tied to new AI infrastructure.
Why it matters
Amazon's claim of improved efficiency rests on a single year-over-year drop that still leaves absolute consumption in the billions of gallons. Local governments weighing data-center permits now have a concrete baseline from one of the largest operators, which may shift how future projects are evaluated against municipal water supplies. The timing of the release, coming immediately after the Seattle moratorium, suggests the company is responding to political pressure rather than leading on transparency.
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Sources:
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