Despite online memes warning that AI data centers are draining water supplies, a new Amazon report shows its global data centers withdrew about 2.5 billion gallons in 2025. That figure is minuscule compared to the 117 trillion gallons withdrawn annually in the United States alone, or to water used for lawns (3.3 trillion gallons), California almond orchards (1.3 trillion gallons), and golf courses (531 billion gallons).
Other major tech companies also reported billions of gallons in 2024: Google over 6.1 billion, Microsoft about 2.75 billion, and Meta roughly 1.4 billion. While individual data centers can strain local supplies, their aggregate water use represents a very small share of overall consumption.
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