Archive · 1 Dec 2025
Amazon Data Centers Linked to Water Contamination in Oregon
In Oregon, there are big farms and Amazon data centers.
The data centers use lots of water to stay cool, and this water ends up with nitrates from farms.
These nitrates are getting into the drinking water and making people sick.
Some people think the data centers are making the problem worse, but Amazon says the problem started before they were there.
The water has so many nitrates that it's making people very sick, and Amazon is saying they are not the cause.
Nitrate levels in some wells in the Lower Umatilla Basin aquifer have reached 73 ppm, exceeding Oregon's 7 ppm limit and the federal limit.
Amazon data centers use tens of millions of gallons of groundwater annually for cooling, which is then sent to the Port of Morrow’s wastewater system.
Wastewater containing nitrates is sprayed on farms with sandy, porous soil, leading to further nitrate seepage into the aquifer.
Amazon denies responsibility, stating that groundwater issues predate their presence and that their water usage is a small fraction of the overall water system.
Residents and experts believe the combination of farming waste and data center water usage is causing a rise in rare cancers and miscarriages.
- Who
- Residents and experts in Morrow County, Oregon, and Amazon
- What
- Contamination of drinking water with nitrates, linked to rare cancers and miscarriages
- When
- Over the last decade, with recent investigations
- Where
- Morrow County, Oregon, specifically the Lower Umatilla Basin aquifer
- Why
- Due to a combination of farming waste and heavy water usage by Amazon data centers
- Location
- Morrow County, Oregon
- Contaminant
- Nitrates
- Nitrate Levels
- 73 ppm (10x Oregon's limit, 7x federal limit)
- Amazon's Response
- Denies responsibility, claims issues predate their presence
- Water Usage
- Tens of millions of gallons annually for cooling
- Wastewater Disposal
- Sprayed on farms, leading to nitrate seepage