Amazon Reveals Global Data Center Water Consumption Figures

The company reported a rate of 0.12 liters per kilowatt-hour of electricity used, citing a two percent decrease in consumption despite continued operational expansion. To manage heat, Amazon relies on air cooling roughly 90 percent of the time, reserving evaporative water cooling for peak temperature periods. By raising server heat tolerances, the company claims its facilities operate seven times more efficiently than the industry average, a figure derived from a recent peer-reviewed research paper.

In its latest report, Amazon positioned its efficiency against competitors including Microsoft, Google, and Meta, suggesting its cooling methods outperform those of its rivals. However, these comparisons carry caveats; the data cited for Google focused specifically on Gemini AI infrastructure, whereas Amazon’s figures encompass its entire global footprint. Furthermore, the reported metrics exclude indirect water consumption at external power plants and the substantial water resources required for new facility construction. The disclosure follows a recent one-year moratorium on data center development in Seattle, a policy some Amazon employees actively supported due to local resource concerns.