Water Stewardship
At AWS, we know that water is a precious resource. We are committed to being water positive by 2030 and making more water available to the communities where we operate. Our efforts to conserve and reuse water are happening across our on-site operations and in communities where we operate by working with nonprofit and public partners to support water availability.
Our Progress
Water Stewardship by the Numbers
41%
Of the way toward water positive
0.18
Liters of water per kilowatt-hour water use effectiveness for AWS data centers
24
Data centers across the globe using recycled water for cooling
7 Billion+
Liters of water will be returned each year to local communities through AWS’s water replenishment efforts
Water Positive by 2030
In 2022, we announced our commitment to being water positive by 2030. That means we’ll return more water to communities and the environment than we use in our data center operations.
To do this, we’re increasing the use of sustainable water sources, improving water use efficiency across our operations, reusing water as much as possible, and supporting water replenishment projects for communities and the environment around the world.
Becoming Water Positive
There are four pillars of our water positive commitment: efficiency, sustainable sources, reuse in communities, and replenishment.
Becoming Water Positive
Sustainable Sources
AWS uses sustainable water sources, such as recycled water and harvested rainwater, wherever possible. We already use recycled water for cooling at 24 data centers around the world. Using recycled water for data center cooling preserves valuable drinking water for communities and the environment.
Becoming Water Positive
Water Reuse in Communities
Discharged water from our data centers is still safe for many other uses. AWS makes available up to 96% of spent cooling water from data centers for farmers in Oregon to use in the irrigation of crops, providing an additional water source and supporting the local economy.
Becoming Water Positive
Water Replenishment
AWS invests in water replenishment projects in the communities where we operate. These projects expand community water access, availability, and quality by restoring watersheds and bringing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services to water-stressed communities.
Water Positive Projects Around the World
At AWS, we are investing in global projects to reduce the water footprint of our data centers and expand water availability in the communities where we operate. In 2023, AWS’s water replenishment portfolio returned 3.5 billion liters to local communities.
Chile
Brazil
China
China
Ohio, U.S.
California, U.S.
Virginia, U.S.
Spain
Spain
Australia
India
Indonesia
Sweden
Oregon, U.S.
California, U.S.
Virginia, U.S.
Brazil
United Kingdom
South Africa
India
Singapore
Indonesia
Chile
The Maipo Basin is the largest source of irrigation and potable water for the Metropolitan Santiago and Valparaiso regions of Chile. However, excessive use of the water in the river has contributed to extreme water scarcity. AWS is partnering with local farmers and climate-tech company Kilimo to reduce water use in the basin. About 67 hectares of agricultural land will be converted from flood to drip irrigation, resulting in an estimated 200 million liters of water savings each year.
Brazil
AWS is partnering with Kilimo in Brazil. One of the most historically significant and economically important rivers serving Brazil’s most populous city, Sao Paulo, is the Tiete River. However, water scarcity is impacting the lives and livelihoods in surrounding communities. Kilimo’s AI solution built on AWS will calculate water consumption, monitor soil quality, and provide irrigation recommendations through intelligent monitoring for participating farmers. Collectively, this will conserve an estimated 200 million liters of water each year.
China
The Miyun Reservoir is the most crucial water source for Beijing, China. AWS is working with the Beijing LongTech Environmental Technology Co., Ltd, to reconstruct degraded portions of the riverbank and install wetlands and buffer zones to naturally treat polluted runoff from farms. The project is expected to be completed this year and will return nearly 39 million liters of clean water each year for the community with potential for more as the project progresses.
Ohio, U.S.
AWS is supporting global non-profit The Nature Conservancy and others to restore 11 acres of wetlands. The project will slow down and filter water while providing wildlife habitat in Licking County just outside Columbus. This will reduce nutrient pollution in Buckeye Lake and improve streams draining into the lake. The project is expected to be completed in 2026 and filter 77 million gallons of water each year. The combined funding from multiple companies will serve as a new repeatable model of corporate funding for water improvement projects.
California, U.S.
In partnership with River Partners, a California-based nonprofit, AWS is helping to repair native ecosystems in some of California’s most imperilled river corridors. The project will reconnect rivers to floodplains and side channels, retire agricultural irrigation to conserve water and replenish freshwater ecosystems, enhance wildlife habitat that supports threatened and endangered species, and improve flood management. Upon completion in 2027, these projects will generate more than 1.6 billion liters of volumetric benefits each year.
Virginia, U.S.
AWS is collaborating with Stroud Water Research Center to work with farmers to implement soil health practices on 2,300 acres, including the conversion of cropland to a no-till and cover crop management system. This aims to improve water quality in headwater streams and in downstream communities.
Spain
AWS collaborated with Fido Tech, a cloud-based water leak detection company, to identify and reduce leakage in the water system in Spain’s Villanueva de Gallego community where AWS has data center operations. In total, 21 leaks or other types of water loss were identified and, after fixing a high priority set of these losses, the project is reducing water loss by an estimated 33 million liters per year.
Spain
AWS is collaborating with Mediodes to deliver runoff from farm fields near AWS’s Spain operations for irrigation of a downstream poplar grove, helping to reduce the amount of runoff contaminated with nutrients entering the Ebro. The project is expected to deliver 864 million liters of clean water each year to the community, contributing to both improved water quality and reductions in the amount of water withdrawn from the Ebro for irrigation.
Australia
AWS is working with Great Eastern Ranges to restore the health and functioning of fire-damaged parts of the major catchment serving Sydney, Australia. This project aims to enhance catchment health and water quality, to help benefit local communities and nature by reducing polluted stormwater runoff, increasing groundwater recharge, enhancing local biodiversity, and supporting wildlife.
Indonesia
AWS is collaborating with Habitat for Humanity’s Indonesian chapter to help deliver reliable and safe water supply to five villages surrounding AWS’s data centers in the Karawang District of West Java, west of Jakarta. These projects will install wells, water treatment systems, and water storage, providing nearly 6,000 people with new access to an estimated 200 million liters of clean and safe water each year.
Sweden
AWS is working with the Swedish municipality of Katrineholm and local water supply company Sörmland Vatten to create a new wetland just outside of Katrineholm in Stora Djulö. This aims to help reduce flooding, improve water quality and biodiversity, and provide citizens with a new recreational space for outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, and birdwatching.
California, U.S.
Three California data centers use recycled wastewater instead of drinking water, making higher quality water available for the community. AWS is also working with The Freshwater Trust to recharge groundwater and increase instream flows using water rights from a local irrigation district, increasing summer flows into the Sacramento River and Bay Delta and improving wildlife habitats.
AWS Employees Making Water Positive Possible
In addition to constant innovation and the capabilities unlocked by AWS tools and resources, becoming water positive also requires hard work and commitment of many of our employees. From designing water efficient cooling systems to installing water quality sensors, AWS employees are building a better future for our company and our planet.
