How AWS uses recycled water in data centers – Amazon Sustainability

Report on Amazon Web Services’ Water Conservation Efforts and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced a significant expansion of its recycled water program for data center cooling across the United States. This initiative directly supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most notably SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), by substantially reducing the consumption of potable water resources and promoting sustainable water management practices within its infrastructure.

Initiative Overview and Impact

The core of the initiative is the expansion of recycled water usage in AWS data centers. This strategic shift is projected to yield significant environmental benefits.

• Expansion Scale: The program will increase from 24 to over 120 data center locations throughout the United States.
• Water Preservation: The expansion is expected to preserve over 530 million gallons of fresh drinking water annually.
• Comparative Volume: This conserved volume is equivalent to the capacity of approximately 800 Olympic-sized swimming pools each year.

Operational Framework and Technology

AWS employs a dual-method cooling strategy that prioritizes water conservation. The use of recycled water is a key component of this framework, particularly during periods of high ambient temperature.

1. Primary Cooling Method: For most of the year, data centers utilize water-free air cooling systems.
2. Supplemental Cooling: During hotter periods, a direct evaporative cooling system is engaged. This process cools air by passing it through water-soaked media.
3. Water Sourcing: Instead of using potable water, AWS collaborates with local utilities to source treated wastewater (recycled or reclaimed water).
4. Water Treatment: This reclaimed water is treated further to meet the specific standards required for data center cooling systems, thereby replacing the need for fresh drinking water.

Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This water conservation strategy demonstrates a strong alignment with global sustainability targets and corporate responsibility principles.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: By substituting potable water with recycled water, AWS directly contributes to Target 6.4, which aims to increase water-use efficiency and ensure sustainable withdrawals of freshwater. This action alleviates pressure on local water supplies, ensuring more is available for community and agricultural needs.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The initiative represents an innovative approach to building resilient and sustainable infrastructure. It aligns with Target 9.4 by upgrading industrial processes to be more resource-efficient and environmentally sound.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: By reducing the demand on municipal water systems, AWS helps enhance water security in the communities where it operates, supporting the goal of making cities and human settlements more sustainable (Target 11.6).
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The program is a clear example of Target 12.2, which calls for the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. It embodies circular economy principles by reusing water, a finite resource, for industrial purposes.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) use of recycled water for cooling its data centers directly addresses and connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary focus on water conservation and efficient resource management within an industrial context links the initiative to the following SDGs:

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: This is the most directly relevant SDG, as the entire article focuses on the management of water resources, specifically the conservation of freshwater by using recycled water.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: The initiative is an action taken by a major technology company (AWS) to make its infrastructure (data centers) more sustainable and resource-efficient, which aligns with the goals of SDG 9.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The project is a clear example of promoting resource efficiency and sustainable management of a key natural resource (water), which is a core principle of SDG 12.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s description of AWS’s water conservation efforts, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

• Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity. The article highlights that AWS is using recycled water instead of drinking water for cooling, which directly increases water-use efficiency in the technology sector. This action helps ensure that freshwater remains available for communities, as stated in the article: “…helping ensure communities have more water available for families, farmers, and fun.”
• Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by…substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally. The initiative is centered on the concept of using “recycled water, also known as reclaimed water,” which is treated wastewater. By expanding this practice to over 120 locations, AWS is directly contributing to the goal of increasing water recycling and reuse.
• Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes. AWS is retrofitting its data center cooling systems—a key piece of industrial infrastructure—to use a more sustainable and resource-efficient process. This shift from potable water to recycled water is an adoption of an environmentally sound industrial process.
• Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. Freshwater is a critical natural resource. The project’s stated goal to “preserve over 530 million gallons of fresh drinking water annually” is a direct contribution to the sustainable and efficient management of this resource.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article provides specific quantitative and qualitative data that can serve as indicators to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Volume of freshwater conserved: The article explicitly states that the expansion is “expected to preserve over 530 million gallons of fresh drinking water annually.” This figure is a direct indicator for measuring progress on increasing water-use efficiency (Target 6.4) and the sustainable management of natural resources (Target 12.2).
• Scale of adoption of sustainable practices: The article mentions the expansion of this practice “from 24 to more than 120 locations across the United States.” This number serves as an indicator for the adoption of sustainable and environmentally sound industrial processes within infrastructure (Target 9.4).
• Volume of recycled water used: While not stated directly, the volume of recycled water used is implied to be over 530 million gallons annually, as it replaces the same amount of freshwater. This implied figure can be used as an indicator for measuring the increase in water recycling and reuse (Target 6.3).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: sustainability.aboutamazon.com