A leaked internal document reveals that Amazon, the world’s largest datacentre owner, has kept its water consumption secrets for years despite a push into artificial intelligence. The company’s cloud computing division had opted to only disclose primary water usage, excluding secondary use from generating electricity. This selective disclosure aims to minimize reputational risk and avoid bad publicity. However, experts claim that this approach is misleading and incomplete.
Amazon’s Water Positive campaign, launched in 2022, commits to “return more water than it uses” by 2030. Yet, the company has not disclosed its overall water consumption, which is estimated to be around 105 billion gallons per year. Experts say that including secondary use would significantly increase this figure, making Amazon’s claims of being “water positive” inaccurate.
Amazon’s efforts to downplay its water footprint have led to criticism from experts and former employees. Nathan Wangusi, a former water sustainability manager, claims that the company has created industry standards to obfuscate its water usage, contradicting its own reports. Shaolei Ren, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, also criticizes Amazon’s approach, stating that it is standard practice in environmental science to include both primary and secondary use.
The leaked document highlights Amazon’s selective disclosure of water consumption, which has sparked concerns about the company’s commitment to sustainability. As tech companies continue to prioritize AI investment and computational power, Amazon’s approach raises questions about its true water footprint and potential impact on the environment.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/oct/25/amazon-datacentres-water-use-disclosure