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Sustainability
Sustainability

Water stewardship

At Amazon, we know that water is a precious resource. We’re committed to doing our part to help solve this rapidly growing challenge in the communities where we operate, as investment in local water resources is known to improve health, empower women, enable access to education, increase family income, and improve overall quality of life.

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Progress

9B+ liters of water expected to be returned each year to local communities through Amazon’s water replenishment efforts

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0.15 liters of water per kilowatt-hour water use effectiveness on average globally for AWS data centers, a 40% improvement since 2021

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53% towards AWS water positive by 2030 in 2024, up from 41% in 2023

Our approach

Amazon has public commitments to return more water to communities than we use in AWS direct operations globally by 2030, and in the direct operations of all Amazon facilities in India by 2027. To meet these commitments and support a more resilient and water-secure future, we are working to reduce our global water footprint and prioritizing action to address water scarcity, access, and quality in the most high-risk regions of our operations.

We drive progress through the following strategies:

  • Reduce: We're constantly working to reduce our water use. We increase our water use efficiency and reduce local withdrawals by installing water-conserving measures in buildings and use cloud-based Internet of Things (IoT) technology to analyze real-time water use and identify leaks. 
  • Reuse: We strive to source water from more sustainable sources, such as recycled and/or harvested rainwater, to minimize demands on public water supplies. 
  • Replenish: We invest in water replenishment projects that increase water access, availability, and quality by restoring watersheds and bringing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services to water-stressed communities.

Amazon’s water commitment to India by 2027

In 2024, we announced a goal to return more water to communities in India than we use in our direct operations by 2027.

We are continuing improve water efficiency across all Amazon facilities in India. We are using on-site sewage treatment plants at 27 logistics sites to recycle greywater for toilet flushing and irrigation, which is expected to save an estimated 279 million liters of water per year. We’re adding to our existing water replenishment projects by supporting projects in our communities that improve water availability and quality in water-stressed areas. 

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AWS 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. In 2024, AWS was 53% of the way towards water positive, up from 41% in 2023. 
 

To do this, we’re increasing the use of more 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.

We already use recycled water for cooling at 24 data centers around the world, and we will expand our use of water recycling to more than 120 locations in U.S. states and counties where we have data center operations by 2030.  By scaling our use of recycled water—water that has been previously used and treated—we expect to preserve over 530 million gallons of drinking-water supply in our communities throughout the U.S. each year while building a more sustainable cloud for our customers. 
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Global water positive projects

We’re investing in projects to reduce the water footprint of our facilities and expand water availability in the communities where we operate.

Explore recent global progress

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Spain

Amazon launched three new water projects in Aragon, Spain, where AWS Europe (Spain) Region is located. Amazon and its project partners are using advanced cloud computing technologies such as AI and Internet of Things (IoT) to work with the Zaragoza City Municipality on innovative flood management, irrigation efficiency, and water infrastructure improvements which will benefit 700,000 residents.

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Spain

Amazon 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.

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Spain

Amazon 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.

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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 from 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. 

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Brazil

AWS is partnering with Kilimo in Brazil. The Teite River is one of the most historically significant and economically important rivers serving Brazil’s most populous city, São Paulo. However, water scarcity is impacting the lives and livelihoods of 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.

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Brazil

Two data centers in Brazil have rainwater collection systems that supply a portion of the facilities’ cooling water needs, decreasing demands on community water systems.

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.

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China

AWS is supporting a second project in China consisting of two constructed wetland efforts that will treat flows of untreated sewage flowing into neighboring rivers. The efforts will collectively return over 40 million liters of water to these rivers each year when completed in 2026.

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Oregon, U.S.

Working in close coordination with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Trout Unlimited, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) this project will benefit Birch Creek, a critical tributary of the Umatilla River in eastern Oregon. The voluntary program compensates willing landowners for leaving water in the natural watershed instead of diverting it for other uses, helping to restore instream flows.

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Washington, U.S.

In collaboration with the Washington Water Trust (WWT) and community partners, this drought relief program in Clallam County on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula enhances stream flows to help aid in healthy salmon runs in the Dungeness River.

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Ohio, U.S.

AWS is supporting the 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.

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California, U.S.

With River Partners, a California-based nonprofit, AWS is helping to repair native ecosystems in some of California’s most imperiled 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.

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Virginia, U.S.

Amazon 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 downstream communities.

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Virginia, U.S.

18 data centers in Virginia use recycled wastewater instead of drinking water, leaving higher quality water to serve community needs.

California, U.S.

Three California data centers use recycled wastewater instead of drinking water, making higher quality water available for the community.

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California, U.S.

Amazon is 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.

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Australia

Amazon 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.

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Singapore

Three data centers in Singapore use recycled wastewater instead of drinking water, leaving higher quality water to serve community needs.

Indonesia

Amazon 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.

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Indonesia

Amazon partnered with the nonprofit Water.org to bring clean water and sanitation to over 35,000 community members in Indonesia.

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India

Amazon is partnering with SayTrees, a local environmental organization, to undertake a comprehensive restoration of Yamare and Sai Reddy Lakes. The projects will involve desilting the lakes, restoring bund formations, and repairing inlet and outlet structures. These efforts are expected to increase the water volume capture potential of Yamare Lake and Sai Reddy Lake by more than 571 million liters combined.

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India

Amazon is collaborating with local non-profit SEARCH to rehabilitate 10 existing water storage ponds and construct 100 new ponds across 12 villages, aiming to deliver 86 million liters of water back to the community each year.

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India

Amazon partnered with the nonprofits Water.org and WaterAid to bring clean water and sanitation to over 250,000 people surrounding our regions in India.

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India

In collaboration with Hasten Regeneration, Amazon is supporting a groundwater recharge project in the Yamuna River watershed, upstream from New Delhi. The project integrates rehabilitating existing water infrastructure and building new water-saving structures while incorporating vegetation to prevent erosion, enhance soil moisture, and improve landscapes. Once completed, it is expected to replenish more than 400 million liters of water annually.

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South Africa

Amazon partnered with The Nature Conservancy to restore 300 hectares of land, clearing the parcels of invasive species and increasing water availability in the watershed serving Cape Town.

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United Kingdom

Amazon is working with The Rivers Trust and local member trust Action for the River Kennet to create two wetlands on the River Kennet, recharging groundwater and improving water quality in the Thames River basin.

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Sweden

Amazon 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.

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Japan

Amazon is partnering with Tabayama Village in Yamanashi Prefecture, one of the Tokyo metropolitan area's important water sources to implement Japan's first water source recharge project over the next 10 years. This project aims to improve the condition of the village's forests and secure and strengthen water resources.

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The sun shines over a landscape of vast, green wetlands.

Water Positive Methodology

Learn more about how we calculate our progress toward our commitment to be water positive by 2030.
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How AWS will return more water than it uses by 2030

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Amazon employees making water stewardship possible

In addition to constant innovation and the capabilities unlocked by AWS tools and resources, being good water stewards also requires the hard work and commitment of many of our employees. From designing water-efficient cooling systems to installing water quality sensors, Amazon employees are building a better future for our company and our planet.
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