• AWS customers can now track annual water withdrawals by region, service and account, with historical data available from January 2022.
• The disclosure tool extends AWS sustainability reporting beyond carbon, helping companies identify trade-offs between emissions, energy and water use.
• AWS says its data centers are seven times more water-efficient than the industry average and reached 75% of its 2030 water-positive goal in 2025.

Amazon Web Services has added water withdrawal data to its Sustainability Console, giving customers greater visibility into the environmental footprint of their cloud workloads.

The update allows organizations to view annual water withdrawals by AWS Region, service and account. Customers can also export the data, access it programmatically and assign reporting permissions independently from billing access.

AWS said the feature is available at no additional cost. Historical data extends back to January 2022.

The move expands cloud sustainability reporting beyond greenhouse gas emissions. It also responds to growing pressure on companies to assess how digital infrastructure affects water-stressed communities and local ecosystems.

Water Data Moves Into Corporate Reporting

AWS launched its standalone Sustainability Console in March 2026. The platform consolidated Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions reporting for AWS workloads into a single service.

The addition of water withdrawal data gives sustainability and procurement teams a broader view of their cloud-related environmental impacts. It may also support disclosure requirements as regulators and investors demand more detailed information on natural resource dependencies.

Water withdrawals measure the total volume taken from sources such as municipal systems or groundwater. This differs from water consumption, which measures water withdrawn but not returned, often because of evaporation.

AWS calculates customer data using its Customer Water Withdrawal Methodology. The approach has received an independent review and adapts the company’s existing carbon allocation model for water reporting.

The data could help companies assess whether efforts to cut emissions create new pressures elsewhere. Cloud services may use less energy in one location while placing greater demands on water resources in another.

“We are expanding our environmental monitoring to include the water footprint of our cloud services,” said Céline Lescop, Global Digital Sustainability Executive Lead, AXA Group Operations. “It completes our existing measurements of GHG emissions and energy consumption, giving us a full picture of our environmental impact and allows us to identify and prevent negative trade-offs, ensuring we create holistic solutions rather than shifting problems from one resource to another.”

AWS Advances Its Water-Positive Strategy

AWS committed in 2022 to become water positive by 2030. The company aims to return more water to communities and ecosystems than it uses in data center operations.

In 2025, AWS said it had reached 75% of that goal. Its strategy focuses on reducing water demand, reusing reclaimed water and funding replenishment projects.

The company said its data centers are more than seven times as water-efficient as the industry average. That performance reflects investments in cooling systems, operating controls and servers that tolerate higher temperatures.

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AWS uses free-air cooling about 90% of the time across applicable locations. Evaporative cooling is reserved for the hottest periods, according to the company.

In water-stressed regions, including South Africa, the Middle East and Phoenix, AWS said it does not use water for cooling. This approach can reduce pressure on local freshwater systems, although demand varies by facility and regional climate.

Reclaimed Water Reduces Freshwater Demand

AWS currently uses reclaimed water at 26 data centers. It plans to expand the practice to more than 130 locations across nine jurisdictions.

Reclaimed water is treated municipal wastewater that can be reused for industrial purposes. By directing it to cooling systems, data centers can reduce their reliance on drinking water.

These projects often require dedicated pipelines and cooperation with local utilities. The model also gives municipalities an additional use for treated wastewater that might otherwise be discharged.

AWS has also invested in more than 50 water replenishment projects worldwide. Once complete, the projects are expected to return more than 21 billion liters of water annually to communities and the environment.

The portfolio includes watershed restoration, infrastructure upgrades and agricultural efficiency programs across the United States, India, Brazil and Chile.

Water Risk Enters Cloud Procurement

For executives and investors, the new dataset provides another layer of scrutiny for cloud procurement and digital growth strategies.

Data center expansion is increasingly tied to energy availability, water access and local permitting. Companies that rely heavily on cloud computing may therefore face indirect exposure to physical water risks and community concerns.

AWS customers can now incorporate water withdrawals into sustainability reporting, supplier assessments and workload planning. The information may also support decisions about where computing activity is located.

By placing water data beside carbon emissions, AWS is pushing cloud sustainability management toward a more integrated model. That shift is becoming more important as artificial intelligence and digital services increase infrastructure demand worldwide.