Microsoft reports water‑positive data center operations for 2025

Microsoft announced that its 2025 fiscal year water consumption was fully offset by water‑replenishment projects, marking a step toward its goal of becoming water‑positive by 2030. The company said its newer data‑center designs use 90 % less water per kilowatt‑hour than the first‑generation facilities and that 90 % of its 2025 data‑center fleet employs low‑water or zero‑water cooling systems. Investments of more than $500 million in 75 water‑related projects since 2020 support community leak‑detection, wetland restoration and other replenishment efforts.

The firm also highlighted a closed‑loop cooling system introduced in 2024, which circulates water without fresh input, saving over 125 million litres per site annually. Pilot installations are planned for Phoenix, Arizona and Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin, with broader rollout expected by the end of 2027. Microsoft’s water‑usage effectiveness improved to 0.30 L/kWh in 2025, a 39 % reduction from 2021 levels.