Amazon wants to help the Colorado River, but we still don’t know how much water the company uses

Amazon’s total water usage, including secondary uses like power generation, will become clearer and more comprehensively disclosed.

Amazon has announced a $20 million investment in water conservation projects along the Colorado River as part of a larger initiative to raise $100 million over two years for the Colorado River Basin Collaborative. This effort aims to address the dwindling water supply affecting 40 million people in the Western US, exacerbated by 26 years of drought and climate change. The company also has a stated goal of becoming water positive by 2030, meaning it would replenish more water than it consumes. Amazon recently disclosed its data centers used 2.5 billion gallons of water globally in 2025 and claims a 52 percent improvement in water efficiency since 2021, stating its data centers use about seven times less water per kilowatt-hour than the industry average. However, critics and experts caution that efficiency metrics alone do not provide a complete picture of total water consumption, especially as AI demand increases.

While Amazon is investing in conservation and touting efficiency gains, the ongoing debate over its total water footprint, particularly concerning secondary uses like electricity generation, remains a critical point of contention. Unlike competitors like Microsoft and Google, Amazon's sustainability reports have not consistently provided total water usage figures or a full accounting of indirect consumption, leading to skepticism about its water-positive goals. This lack of transparency, especially as AI data centers are projected to significantly increase water demand, raises concerns about its genuine impact on water-scarce regions.

The company's recent $20 million pledge and collaborative initiative signal a response to mounting pressure from environmental advocates and communities wary of the growing water demands of the tech sector. However, the effectiveness of these conservation efforts and Amazon's ability to meet its water-positive targets will depend on its willingness to fully disclose all water usage, including the substantial amounts used in power generation, and to adapt its strategy to the escalating needs of AI.