Amazon says its data centers used around 2.5 billion gallons of water worldwide but argues the number should be viewed in context. The company says that amount equals just 0.075% of the roughly 3.3 trillion gallons Americans use every year to water lawns and gardens. Amazon also claims its data centers use less water per unit of electricity than those operated by Microsoft, Google, and Meta, and it still plans to become “water positive” by 2030. Amazon says it has improved water efficiency by: - Mainly using air cooling instead of water cooling. - Using evaporative cooling only during hotter weather. - Reducing power use by 20–25% during extreme heat. - Running servers at higher temperatures without hurting reliability. - Investing in projects that return more water than the company uses.