By Anvee Bhutani
Amazon said its global data-center operations withdrew about 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025, as data center companies around the world face growing scrutiny over the environmental impact of artificial intelligence.
The company disclosed the figure in a blog post Thursday outlining its water-efficiency efforts. Amazon said water use at sites it owns and operates directly fell 2% from 2024 levels, even while it expanded its data-center footprint.
Amazon said its data centers used 0.12 liters of water per kilowatt-hour of electricity in 2025, which it said was more efficient than the industry average. The company said by the end of this decade it will return more water to communities than its direct operations consume.
Some of Amazon's data centers use treated waste water rather than drinking water. This shift aligns with broader efforts from lawmakers on Capitol Hill and the Environmental Protection Agency to encourage sustainable cooling practices within the industry, as The Wall Street Journal has previously reported.
Data centers use water primarily for cooling computer servers. Amazon said its facilities rely on outside air for cooling about 90% of the time and use water-based evaporative cooling during the hottest periods of the year.
Write to Anvee Bhutani at anvee.bhutani@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 11, 2026 10:25 ET (14:25 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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