Amazon discloses 2.5 billion gallons of data-center water use

Amazon has disclosed annual water use for its global data-center operations, reporting 2.5 billion gallons consumed in 2025 at a rate of 0.12 liters per kilowatt-hour. The company says efficiency improved by 2% despite expansion and claims its facilities are seven times more water-efficient than the industry average. Amazon uses air cooling about 90% of the time and evaporative cooling during the hottest periods. The figures do not include indirect water used to generate electricity or construct new facilities, so they are not a complete footprint. The disclosure arrives immediately after Seattle enacted a one-year data-center moratorium and gives communities a concrete metric for debating the infrastructure costs of AI growth.

Key details: June 11, 2026, 2.5B gallons consumed in 2025, 0.12 liters per kilowatt-hour, 2% efficiency improvement, Indirect water use excluded.

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