Amazon report places AI data centre water use in global context amid local strain
While aggregate global withdrawals remain negligible compared to agricultural and landscaping usage, individual facilities are exerting significant pressure on local supplies in high-scarcity areas.
A recent report from Amazon indicates that global data centre water withdrawals amounted to approximately 2.5 billion gallons in 2025. The company characterises this volume as negligible when compared to broader national water usage statistics, such as the 117 trillion gallons withdrawn in the United States in 2015. The figure is also dwarfed by other sectors, including the 3.3 trillion gallons used annually for US lawns and landscaping, and the 1.3 trillion gallons consumed by California almond orchards.
Despite low aggregate global usage, the report acknowledges that individual facilities can exert significant pressure on local water supplies, particularly in water-stressed regions. A 2025 Business Insider report found that 40 per cent of planned and existing US data centres are located in areas with “high” or “extremely high” water scarcity. This concentration of demand has led to notable local impacts, with a single Meta data centre in Newton County, Georgia, using approximately 10 per cent of the county’s total water supply.
The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin estimates that data centres currently account for 8 per cent of total water consumption in the region, a rate that could rise to 29 per cent by 2050 if the concentration of facilities in northern Virginia continues. In Texas, data centres are estimated to have used between 25 and 49 billion gallons in 2024, with potential growth to 399 billion gallons by 2030.
To mitigate local infrastructure strain, major technology firms are implementing efficiency measures and stewardship projects. Amazon states it is operating data centres at higher temperatures to reduce water usage per kilowatt-hour. The company has also committed to funding 50 water projects expected to return more than 5.8 billion gallons annually to local communities.
Google has disclosed 165 water stewardship projects aimed at replenishing over 19 billion gallons annually by 2030. While a 2021 Nature study estimated that all US data centres combined consumed about 163 billion gallons in that year, the industry’s focus on efficiency and community return projects aims to address the disproportionate impact on local water resources.
