Amazon’s Water Usage: A Closer Look
Amazon has been strategizing to keep the public unaware of the full extent of its datacenters’ water consumption, according to a leaked internal document.
Comparing Industry Giants
As the largest datacenter owner globally, Amazon surpasses competitors like Microsoft and Google. The company is expanding its capacity significantly to support its AI initiatives, despite concerns about the water needed to cool its extensive circuitry.
Transparency and Criticism
While Amazon claims to manage its water use efficiently, it faces criticism for its lack of transparency. Unlike Microsoft and Google, Amazon has never disclosed its server farms’ water consumption publicly.
Internal Strategies and Public Perception
Amazon’s cloud computing division reportedly chose to highlight a smaller water usage figure, excluding certain consumption aspects, to protect its reputation, as revealed by a memo seen by SourceMaterial and the Guardian.
Water Consumption Figures
In 2021, Amazon’s total water consumption reached 105 billion gallons, comparable to the usage of 958,000 US households, a city larger than San Francisco, according to the memo.
Company Response
Amazon spokesperson Margaret Callahan labeled the document as “obsolete” and claimed it misrepresented the company’s current water strategy.
Water Positive Campaign
In November 2022, Amazon Web Services launched the “Water Positive” campaign, aiming to return more water than it uses by 2030. However, this initiative only covers AWS, while Amazon’s overall water consumption remains significantly higher.
Selective Disclosure Concerns
The memo suggested that full transparency could lead to negative headlines, such as “Amazon hides its water consumption.” Executives decided to focus on primary water use, approximately 7.7 billion gallons annually, to avoid reputational damage.
Scientific Perspective
Experts criticized the exclusion of secondary water use, which includes water for electricity generation. Shaolei Ren, an associate professor at the University of California, Riverside, emphasized the importance of including both primary and secondary use for accurate environmental assessments.
Future Plans and Challenges
Amazon’s Water Positive campaign continues without accounting for secondary use, and the company maintains confidentiality over its total water consumption. As tech companies invest in AI, Amazon is building datacenters in some of the world’s driest regions, as reported by SourceMaterial and the Guardian.
Offsetting and Accountability
Amazon’s strategy includes “water replenishment” projects, some in collaboration with Water.org. However, experts argue that these efforts do not fully offset the company’s water footprint.
Industry Standards and Influence
Amazon is reportedly influencing industry standards to downplay its water use. The company has funded initiatives to develop methodologies for quantifying watershed restoration benefits.
Indirect Water Footprint
Amazon’s indirect water use, including agricultural supply chains, represents about 90% of its total footprint. Despite this, the company has chosen not to disclose these figures.
Internal Criticism
Nathan Wangusi, a former Amazon water sustainability manager, criticized the company’s approach, stating that it undermines trust rather than enhancing profitability.
