Amazon has been accused of intentionally keeping the public in the dark about the full extent of its data centers” water usage, as indicated by a leaked internal memo. Despite being the largest data center operator globally, the company is facing scrutiny over its water consumption practices, particularly as it expands its artificial intelligence operations.
While Amazon has implemented measures to enhance water efficiency, it has been criticized for not being transparent about its total water usage, unlike competitors such as Microsoft and Google. According to the memo, reported by the Guardian, Amazon utilized 105 billion gallons of water in 2021, a volume sufficient to supply approximately 958,000 households in the United States, equating to a population larger than that of San Francisco.
Amazon spokesperson Margaret Callahan described the leaked document as “obsolete” and claimed it “completely misrepresents Amazon”s current water usage strategy.” She emphasized that the existence of such a document does not ensure its accuracy, as discussions within the company can lead to revisions or highlight inaccuracies.
The memo was created shortly before the launch of Amazon Web Services” (AWS) “Water Positive” sustainability initiative in November 2022, which commits to returning more water than the company uses by 2030. Within the memo, executives discussed whether to disclose information regarding “secondary” water use—water consumed in the electricity production that powers AWS”s data centers.
Callahan pointed out that the company has already made efficiency improvements and noted that other firms also do not account for secondary water use in their reporting. Ultimately, executives opted to report only the lower figure for primary water use, which is 7.7 billion gallons annually, roughly equal to 11,600 Olympic-sized swimming pools. They cited “reputational risk” as the reason for not disclosing total water consumption.
As part of the sustainability campaign, Amazon aims to reduce its primary water usage to 4.9 billion gallons by 2030, excluding secondary water use from this target. However, scientists have criticized the selective reporting and the omission of secondary water use from the company”s total water consumption figures. Although Amazon”s Water Positive initiative remains active, it still does not include secondary water use, while the overall water consumption figures are kept confidential.
