Amazon is launching the Colorado River Basin Collaborative, aiming to raise $100 million over two years for water conservation. The company is contributing $20 million to this initiative. The Colorado River serves 40 million people across seven US states and two Mexican states, having faced drought conditions for 26 years.
In Orange County, California, Amazon pledged $2.2 million over three years to repair leaks, a project expected to save 189 million gallons of water annually. The company has joined the Water Resilience Coalition, which includes Microsoft and Meta, to coordinate further conservation efforts with other corporate partners.
Amazon reported that its data centers consumed 2.5 billion gallons of water globally in 2025. The company claims a 52 percent improvement in water efficiency since 2021, currently using 0.12 liters per kilowatt-hour. Amazon aims to become water positive, meaning it will replenish more water than it consumes, by the end of the decade.
The company faces criticism regarding its water reporting. A 2025 Guardian report alleged that Amazon excludes water used for electricity generation from its disclosures. According to that report, Amazon used 10.5 billion gallons of water in 2021 when accounting for secondary usage. Amazon spokesperson Margaret Callahan disputed these figures as based on outdated data.
