Amazon is expanding the number of locations that will use treated wastewater for data center cooling from 20 to 120. The company this week announced it will expand its use of water recycling to more than 120 locations in states and counties where the cloud giant has data center operations by 2030. … Though data centers typically reuse water by recirculating the same water through their cooling systems multiple times, it is often drawn from potable (drinkable) sources. As the water can collect bacteria and limescale, it is treated with chemicals, leaving it unsuitable for people to drink once it leaves the facility. Exactly how much drinkable water the data center industry uses is unclear, but estimated to be in the billions of gallons annually. Today, Amazon uses recycled water instead of potable or drinkable water across 20 locations; 16 in Virginia and four in Santa Clara in California.

Other data center water use news:

• Tempe Business Journal (Ariz.): Tempe ordinance aims to manage data center growth as demand surges
• Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, Ariz.): Supervisors to vote on secretive data centers plan in southeast Tucson