This article was originally published by Grist. You can sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter by clicking here. Amazon recently received approval to open two new data centers in Santiago, Chile, marking its first venture into Latin America. These data facilities require significant amounts of electricity and water to power cloud computing services and online programs. Despite being located in one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, Amazon plans to invest in water conservation efforts along the Maipo River, the primary water source for the Santiago region.
The tech giant is partnering with a water technology startup to help farmers along the river install drip irrigation systems on 165 acres of farmland. This initiative is expected to conserve enough water to supply around 300 homes per year. Amazon aims to make its cloud computing operations “water positive” by 2030, meaning it will conserve or replenish more water than it uses.
While Amazon claims its data centers are among the most water-efficient in the industry, experts warn that these water conservation efforts may not fully address the underlying stress on electricity grids. Data centers require large amounts of water to cool their servers, and the power plants that produce the necessary electricity consume even larger quantities of water. Without a holistic approach to mitigating water usage and power consumption, the industry’s sustainability efforts may fall short.
Amazon’s data centers use water for cooling in order to reduce energy-intensive air conditioning units, thus decreasing reliance on fossil fuels. However, the industry’s overall water consumption remains substantial, with data centers operated by major tech companies withdrawing vast amounts of water from rivers and aquifers. As the demand for data centers continues to rise, concerns over water usage and environmental impact grow.
Amazon emphasizes efficiency in its data center operations, utilizing evaporative cooling systems that require less water than traditional cooling technologies. The company aims to balance efficiency with environmental concerns by strategically locating data centers in regions with ample water supply. Despite these efforts, challenges related to water availability and environmental impact persist, prompting ongoing conservation initiatives and sustainability goals.
By funding water conservation projects and offsetting water consumption through various initiatives, Amazon strives to achieve its goal of being “water positive.” However, critics argue that these efforts must also address the water consumed by the power plants that supply data centers. To truly mitigate the industry’s environmental impact, companies like Amazon must consider the broader implications of their operations on water resources and energy consumption.