Amazon touts water savings amid data center pushback

Amazon says its data centers use water more efficiently than the industry average and is urging others to improve as scrutiny of data centers intensifies.Why it matters: Water use has emerged as one of the biggest pressure points in the AI data center buildout, pushing companies like Amazon to publicly defend their efforts.Driving the news: Amazon revealed Thursday it was 75% of the way toward its 2030 goal — first set in 2022 — to replenish more water into communities with its data centers than it's consuming.The tech giant also said its data centers are seven times more water-efficient than the industry average.Friction point: Roughly 70% of Americans oppose building data centers in their communities, with water use for cooling and other environmental concerns ranking as the top reason, according to Gallup polling released in May.State of play: Amazon's announcement — following a similar water-focused push from Google last week — shows how major tech companies are increasingly trying to address public concern over the environmental toll of the AI buildout."There is a perception, perhaps, that the data centers are taking more water than people understand," said Kara Hurst, chief sustainability officer at Amazon, in an interview. "I do think it's incredibly important that we are transparent."Hurst said it should be a "race to the top" with efficient water use across the industry.The fine print: Amazon's "industry average" is not a directly reported industry benchmark. It's based on a January academic study and converted using a standard Energy Department methodology.Between the lines: Hurst made an argument that Google executives also made last week: data centers use far less water compared to other industries, including agriculture and household lawn watering.Reality check: Comparisons to other industries may do little to ease concerns in communities facing a rapid influx of large data center projects.Hurst acknowledged that Amazon is planning for more growth overall."We are growing," Hurst said. "We want it to be good growth, sustainable growth."Case in point: In Northern Virginia, one of its largest data center regions, the company said it reduced water use by 42% in 2025 compared to 2024, "even as demand for computing continued to grow."How it works: Data centers must continuously remove heat generated by computing equipment.Companies increasingly use liquid-cooling systems to cool the hottest AI chips, typically circulating coolant through sealed systems that require little ongoing water use.More water is often used to remove heat from the facility itself. Operators generally balance water consumption against electricity consumption when choosing cooling methods.Amazon says it relies heavily on "free-air" cooling, which uses outside air when conditions allow and reduces the need for water-intensive cooling.Yes, but: Like Google did last week, Amazon argues that on the hottest days, using water can be the most efficient option overall."We determined it's better overall to use some water during the hottest days of the year than to overconsume electricity during the very moments when the grid is most stressed," its press release states.What we're watching: The key question is whether efficiency gains can offset overall growth. Even as companies reduce water use per unit of computing, total demand for AI infrastructure continues to surge.