Meta has outlined its approach to water stewardship in the communities where its data centers are located, aiming to become water positive by 2030. The company defines this goal as restoring more water than it consumes in the watersheds where it operates.
The strategy is based on three main pillars: maximizing efficiency and minimizing water use, supporting water restoration projects, and maintaining transparency with water data. Meta states that efficient cooling systems are used at its data centers, with technology choices tailored to local conditions such as climate and available resources. Many of its facilities employ closed-loop liquid cooling systems with dry coolers, which eliminate operational water use for cooling.
For example, Meta’s Beaver Dam, Wisconsin data center will utilize a closed-loop system expected to use less annual water than two full-service restaurants. During construction of the Kansas City, Missouri data center, over one million gallons of potable water were conserved by repurposing stormwater for dust suppression.
All operational Meta data centers achieve LEED Gold certification standards for energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. The company also uses artificial intelligence to optimize cooling processes further reducing both energy and water consumption.
In addition to internal measures, Meta invests in external restoration projects connected hydrologically to the sources of its operations’ water consumption. Since 2017, Meta has supported more than 40 restoration projects across nine watersheds. In 2024 alone, these initiatives returned over 1.59 billion gallons of water to high- and medium-stress regions; once fully implemented, they are projected to restore between 2.9 and 3.4 billion gallons annually.
One partnership involves N-Drip technology and the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) in Arizona—replacing flood irrigation with drip irrigation is estimated to save about 64.9 million gallons per year while a pilot project saw up to 52% savings in water usage. In Texas’ Trinity River Watershed, work with Texan by Nature and others is restoring longleaf pine forests expected to return about 44 million gallons annually. In New Mexico’s Middle Rio Grande region, collaborations aim to maintain river flows critical for local habitats; these efforts should restore approximately 81.5 million gallons each year.
Meta also funds local infrastructure improvements tied directly to community needs near its facilities—for instance investing over $70 million in a new treatment facility gifted to Kuna, Idaho; over $200 million into wastewater infrastructure around Richland Parish, Louisiana; and supporting wetland restoration near Beaver Dam.
The company commits to publishing detailed information on its progress through annual sustainability reports and an environmental data index while sharing technical advancements via industry forums like the Open Compute Project.
"Water is a shared and vital resource, and we approach water stewardship with the responsibility and technical expertise it deserves," according to Meta’s statement from the release.
"We’re committed to playing a positive role and investing in the long-term vitality of the communities in which we operate," another part reads.
Meta pledges ongoing investment in conservation partnerships with NGOs addressing broader regional challenges related to shared water resources.