Amazon will fund an underground water storage project capable of storing up to 1.2 billion gallons of potable water for the city of Hermiston, where the online retailer operates several data centers. 

While a specific construction timeline nor costs were announced, Amazon said in a release that the project will replenish 400 million gallons of groundwater by 2027. The city will own and operate the infrastructure under a 25-year agreement. 

“This work with Amazon represents a significant investment in Hermiston’s future,” said Mark Morgan, assistant city manager for the city of Hermiston, in a statement. “By collaborating together, this project will benefit the local farmers, environment, and wider community, allowing us to sustainably grow well into the future.” 

The project will enhance existing pumped water storage from the Columbia River via the Port of Umatilla’s Regional Water System as well as groundwater wells. The system will draw water from the river during winter months when flows reach their peak levels.  

Before storage, the water will be treated to meet drinking standards before being injected into a deep basalt aquifer, an underground rock layer that naturally stores water, which is also used for the municipal water supply.  

Amazon says the winter season water diversion will minimize impacts on fish populations and agricultural operations that depend on river water during warmer seasons, particularly droughts. 

“After 20 years of living in the Pacific Northwest, I see firsthand how our communities depend on thoughtful water stewardship,” said Brandon Oyer, director of energy and water at AWS, in a statement. “Amazon is investing in innovative water solutions like this Hermiston project, not just to support our operations, but to strengthen the entire community’s water resilience for generations to come.” 

Amazon Web Services maintains multiple data center campuses in Boardman, Hermiston and Umatilla. Those facilities have brought jobs and increased revenue to the city, which recently lowered electricity rates due to the payments from Amazon’s operations. However, critics of such facilities have decried their intense energy demand and large quantities of water needed for cooling servers. 

Amazon is also the financial backer of another prominent Mid-Columbia project: the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility, which will house an initial four small modular reactors near Energy Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station north of Richland.