AWS plans treated sewage water for cooling at future India data centres
Company outlines water conservation and energy efficiency measures for its India data centre network
- Aug 8, 2026,
- Updated Aug 8, 2026 1:55 PM IST
Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to use treated sewage water instead of freshwater for cooling at future data centres in India that require water-based cooling, a move aimed at reducing pressure on drinking water resources. The company outlined the plan as it expands its cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in the country.
AWS said its operational data centres in India use air-cooled chillers and do not use water for cooling. Potable water consumption is limited primarily to employee use and maintenance activities.
"Sustainable infrastructure is core to our design principles. Globally, our infrastructure is 4.1 times more energy efficient than on-premise alternatives and seven times more water efficient than the industry," said Anurag Khilnani, Director, Data Centre Delivery APAC, AWS.
Khilnani said future AWS data centres in India requiring water-based cooling would use recycled sewage water in line with the National Framework on Safe Reuse of Treated Water.
"In India, we don't use any water for cooling in our operational data centres because we use air-cooled chillers. For any new data centres with different cooling requirements, we plan to use recycled sewage water for cooling, aligning with India's National Framework on Safe Reuse of Treated Water. Furthermore, we only draw power from a dedicated high-voltage substation we invest in to avoid impacting local distribution grids serving residents," he said.
AWS currently operates 26 data centres globally that use recycled water and has agreements in place for another 130 facilities. In India, treated sewage water will be used at some of its upcoming facilities in Mumbai and Hyderabad as part of its efforts to reduce reliance on freshwater.
The company also highlighted its water stewardship initiatives. According to AWS, it achieved its 2027 water positivity target in India ahead of schedule by returning 120 per cent of the water consumed across its direct operations to local communities in 2025.
"We remain committed to returning more resources to our communities. In Telangana, we've rejuvenated six lakes, built 88 farm ponds and recharged 50 borewells across more than 20 villages, helping farmers with sustainable water access," Khilnani said. AWS said it is investing more than ₹62 crore in water stewardship projects across India, including lake rejuvenation, groundwater recharge, watershed restoration and irrigation initiatives. These projects are expected to replenish more than four billion litres of water annually.
The company also said investments in server design, cooling technologies and infrastructure optimisation have made its cloud infrastructure up to 4.1 times more energy efficient than traditional on-premises data centres.
AWS said its Indian data centres receive electricity through dedicated extra high-voltage substations developed in coordination with utility authorities to avoid placing additional pressure on local distribution networks serving homes and businesses. The company has invested in 53 renewable energy projects in India that together generate more than four million MWh of clean electricity annually.
"We have also invested in 53 renewable energy projects in India generating over 4 million MWh of clean electricity annually, adding renewable energy to India's power grid and ensuring India's digital and AI ambitions are powered responsibly," Khilnani said.
According to AWS, its renewable energy portfolio in India generates enough electricity each year to power more than 1.3 million homes.
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Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to use treated sewage water instead of freshwater for cooling at future data centres in India that require water-based cooling, a move aimed at reducing pressure on drinking water resources. The company outlined the plan as it expands its cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in the country.
AWS said its operational data centres in India use air-cooled chillers and do not use water for cooling. Potable water consumption is limited primarily to employee use and maintenance activities.
"Sustainable infrastructure is core to our design principles. Globally, our infrastructure is 4.1 times more energy efficient than on-premise alternatives and seven times more water efficient than the industry," said Anurag Khilnani, Director, Data Centre Delivery APAC, AWS.
Khilnani said future AWS data centres in India requiring water-based cooling would use recycled sewage water in line with the National Framework on Safe Reuse of Treated Water.
"In India, we don't use any water for cooling in our operational data centres because we use air-cooled chillers. For any new data centres with different cooling requirements, we plan to use recycled sewage water for cooling, aligning with India's National Framework on Safe Reuse of Treated Water. Furthermore, we only draw power from a dedicated high-voltage substation we invest in to avoid impacting local distribution grids serving residents," he said.
AWS currently operates 26 data centres globally that use recycled water and has agreements in place for another 130 facilities. In India, treated sewage water will be used at some of its upcoming facilities in Mumbai and Hyderabad as part of its efforts to reduce reliance on freshwater.
The company also highlighted its water stewardship initiatives. According to AWS, it achieved its 2027 water positivity target in India ahead of schedule by returning 120 per cent of the water consumed across its direct operations to local communities in 2025.
"We remain committed to returning more resources to our communities. In Telangana, we've rejuvenated six lakes, built 88 farm ponds and recharged 50 borewells across more than 20 villages, helping farmers with sustainable water access," Khilnani said. AWS said it is investing more than ₹62 crore in water stewardship projects across India, including lake rejuvenation, groundwater recharge, watershed restoration and irrigation initiatives. These projects are expected to replenish more than four billion litres of water annually.
The company also said investments in server design, cooling technologies and infrastructure optimisation have made its cloud infrastructure up to 4.1 times more energy efficient than traditional on-premises data centres.
AWS said its Indian data centres receive electricity through dedicated extra high-voltage substations developed in coordination with utility authorities to avoid placing additional pressure on local distribution networks serving homes and businesses. The company has invested in 53 renewable energy projects in India that together generate more than four million MWh of clean electricity annually.
"We have also invested in 53 renewable energy projects in India generating over 4 million MWh of clean electricity annually, adding renewable energy to India's power grid and ensuring India's digital and AI ambitions are powered responsibly," Khilnani said.
According to AWS, its renewable energy portfolio in India generates enough electricity each year to power more than 1.3 million homes.
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