Amazon said its data centers consumed 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025, underscoring the large and growing resource demands tied to cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The figure highlights a long-running concern for the technology industry as more companies expand data center capacity to support AI tools, online services, and other compute-heavy applications. Data centers need significant electricity and cooling, and many rely on water-intensive systems to prevent servers from overheating.

Amazon did not disclose all of the operational details behind the total in the material provided, but the number adds to scrutiny over how much pressure tech infrastructure places on local water supplies. The issue has become increasingly important as data centers grow larger and are built in more regions, including areas where water access is already strained.

The company’s disclosure comes amid broader debate over the environmental footprint of AI. Training and running advanced models requires large clusters of servers that generate heat continuously. That has pushed major cloud providers to look for more efficient cooling methods, while also raising questions from communities and policymakers about whether the benefits of the industry outweigh its environmental costs.

Water use at data centers can vary widely depending on climate, design, and cooling technology. Facilities in hotter regions may require more intensive cooling, while some operators have shifted toward air-based or closed-loop systems to reduce dependence on fresh water. Even so, the industry still faces pressure to limit resource use as demand for digital services rises.

Amazon is one of the world’s largest cloud computing companies and has been investing heavily in infrastructure to support growth in its Amazon Web Services business and related AI initiatives. As that footprint expands, so does attention to the energy and water needed to keep its systems running.

The 2.5 billion-gallon figure is likely to feed into ongoing conversations about transparency in the sector. Environmental reporting from large technology firms has become a focal point for investors, regulators, and advocacy groups seeking clearer information about the costs of rapid AI adoption. Companies have increasingly been pressed to explain not only how much energy their facilities use, but also how much water they consume and what steps they are taking to reduce that load.

For Amazon, the disclosure places another marker on the environmental challenges facing the data center industry as it scales up to meet demand. While the company continues to expand its cloud and AI capabilities, the water figure illustrates the trade-offs that come with that growth.