These Amazon employees are using technology to help save water

They're identifying, implementing, and scaling water conservation strategies benefiting our business and the communities in which we operate.

Water is a precious resource, and Amazon’s water team members are working to protect it. Every day we’re working toward our goals to return more water to communities than we use in Amazon’s data center operations by 2030, and in direct operations of all Amazon facilities in India by 2027. 

By reducing water use, tapping into reclaimed wastewater or harvested rainwater, and replenishing water by investing in projects that help increase water access, availability and quality, we’re more than halfway to our data center goal. That progress wouldn’t be possible without the collaboration of teams around the world, and like-minded project partners and local leaders.

We talked to three Amazon employees who are innovating to help safeguard the planet’s future. Here’s what they shared:

Collaborating to build data center capacity and community:
Pubudu Ranasinghe, Senior Water Strategy Manager, Data Center Global Services, Arlington, Virginia

Ranasinghe joined the Amazon Web Services (AWS) water team with a clear vision: protect water resources while supporting business growth. He works on projects involving data centers, “the critical infrastructure powering our digital world.”

“These specialized facilities house the servers and technology that enable essential services across every sector, from health care systems and emergency responses to financial transactions, education, and communications,” he said. “Modern data centers can be used to leverage AI to optimize water and energy efficiency, while utilities use predicted analytics to improve resources management.”

Ranasinghe develops comprehensive water strategies for data center projects that balance operational needs with responsible water use. That means assessing water availability and stress levels in regions where Amazon operates, helping to prevent data centers from competing with local communities for water resources.

"Water stewardship isn't just about efficiency, it's about being a good neighbor," Ranasinghe said.

His work shows how a thoughtful water strategy fosters success for everyone: AWS’ global water use effectiveness—a key metric for measuring water use efficiency in data centers, was 0.15L/kWh in 2024—a 40% improvement since 2021. Improving water use efficiency, and working to reduce overall water use, means more water for everyone. 

“I’m motivated by the tangible impact of this work knowing that the strategies we develop today help communities maintain access to clean water while supporting the services people rely on daily,” Ranasinghe said. “Being part of AWS’ water stewardship efforts means I can contribute to solutions that balance technological progress with environmental responsibility.”

Working toward Amazon water goals by identifying innovative and community-focused projects:
Marlies Michielssen, Water Sustainability Manager, Environment & Regulations, San Francisco, California

Among the many water-focused initiatives Michielssen has worked on since she started as an intern on the AWS water team in 2020 is an effort to identify impactful water replenishment projects. She designs projects that help Amazon reach its water stewardship commitments, making progress toward our water positive goals.

In Indiana, where AWS recently opened new data centers, Michielssen helped evaluate water challenges and opportunities around the town of New Carlisle and developed two projects expected to conserve or improve the quality of at least 100 million gallons of water annually. The first involves creating a “smart wetland” with The Wetlands Initiative in the Kankakee River Watershed that will remove excess nutrients from agricultural runoff before it enters local waterways, helping to improve water quality. The second project involved deploying sensors across 7,000 acres of irrigated farmland that collect real-time data on weather, crops, and irrigation operations. After synthesizing the information with AI on the AWS cloud, crop-intelligence company Arable helps farmers improve their irrigation practices, leaving more water in the Kankakee Aquifer.

“These irrigation efficiency projects are a real win-win for growers and their communities,” Michielssen said. “More water stays in rivers and aquifers to support communities during periods of drought, while farmers see lower water bills and gain real-time insights on crop health that help them improve yields.”

Saving water with smart meters:
Nicholas Harrison, Senior Technical Program Manager, Environment & Regulations, Seattle, Washington

Nicholas Harrison first joined Amazon to help enterprise customers solve hard problems with AWS technology. When he began working on the water team in 2024, it was to tackle another thorny challenge: preventing water loss across our facilities.

“The work we’re doing is incredible,” Harrison said. “I love learning about water tech and using interesting water tech solutions to scale pilots to help us save water at Amazon sites.”

To make informed decisions at Amazon’s many different facilities around the world, we aim to measure water use at every site that uses water. Harrison helps build out the metering program at scale. By installing smart water meters with real-time monitoring, we can act quickly and proactively when leaks or other anomalies are detected.

These meters can automatically capture water consumption data almost instantly, providing timelier and more precise insights than traditional manual readings. That means we can track the effectiveness of our water conservation efforts, like low-flow water fixtures, and see water savings as they happen.

“Our public goal in India speaks to the urgency of this work,” Harrison said. “Being in a position to use my technical ability to help with this important problem is so inspiring. Whenever I get frustrated because of a technical hurdle or process issue, I focus on our goals and remind myself why we’re doing this—to use technology to save water.”

To help other businesses start similar programs, Harrison recently authored the “Starting a smart water metering program” playbook for Amazon’s Sustainability Exchange, providing guidance for setting up metering programs. In 2026, Amazon is planning to install smart water meters at more than 500 Amazon sites, with the aim of making our operations even more efficient.

Learn more about Amazon water initiatives and our stewardship work.

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