Amazon Says Its Data Centers Used 2.5 Billion Gallons of Water Last Year
Original: Amazon’s data centers used 2.5 billion gallons of water last year
Amazon disclosed major data center water use as AI infrastructure faces growing scrutiny from cities, workers, and local communities.
Amazon says its global data center operations used about 2.5 billion gallons of water last year, reportedly its first such disclosure. The figure arrives just after Seattle enacted a one-year data center moratorium backed by some Amazon employees. The disclosure highlights how AI infrastructure growth is turning water use, cooling systems, and local resource strain into public and regulatory flashpoints.
Amazon has disclosed that its global data center operations used about 2.5 billion gallons of water last year, a figure reported as the company’s first public accounting of that specific water footprint. The disclosure comes at a politically sensitive moment: Seattle recently enacted a one-year moratorium on new data center development, a move supported by some Amazon employees who raised concerns about the environmental and community impact of rapid AI infrastructure expansion.
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