Internal memo reveals Amazon’s consideration to conceal total water use of its datacentres

A leaked internal memo from Amazon’s cloud computing division reveals discussions about masking the full extent of water consumption required to cool its datacentres. The document shows executives grappling with whether to disclose only primary water use, excluding indirect or secondary uses such as water involved in electricity generation for powering facilities. AWS’s Water Positive campaign, launched in 2022 with a target to return more water than it uses by 2030, is highlighted as not accounting for secondary water use. The memo estimated Amazon’s total water use at 105 billion gallons in 2021, equivalent to the needs of roughly 958,000 households, yet the company claimed the higher, comprehensive figure would complicate campaigns and reputational risk. Critics from academia and industry experts argue that excluding secondary use misrepresents the true water footprint of datacentres. Amazon defends its transparency and notes ongoing efficiency improvements, while acknowledging that some data have been kept confidential for strategic reasons. The broader context includes continued expansion of datacentres globally amid AI investment, with scrutiny over environmental impact and water resource management. The piece underscores tensions between corporate sustainability messaging and the full accounting of environmental costs.