Hermiston Water Service Agreement with AWS (FAQ)

An agreement between the City of Hermiston and Amazon Web Services was approved by the Hermiston City Council on February 24, 2025 that will expand access to municipal water for both partners.

• View the staff report. 
• View the City Council presentation and vote.
• Read the report in the East Oregonian.

What does the project do?

The project will pump water from the Columbia River during low-demand months (October–March) and store it underground near Hermiston, then make it available during high-demand summer months. Amazon Web Services will have access to some of the water to cool their data centers, and the City of Hermiston will see a net increase of 100 million gallons per year in available drinking water for residents ​.

Who is paying for this project?

AWS is covering all construction costs associated with the water service agreement, including the drilling of aquifer storage and recovery wells and installation of necessary infrastructure​.

What rate will AWS pay for the water?

AWS will continue to pay the same water rates as other customers in Hermiston. Additionally, by committing to purchasing a significant amount of water annually, AWS is expected to drive down the regional water system's unit rate for potable, benefiting all residents.

How long does the agreement last?

The agreement between the City of Hermiston and AWS lasts 25 years. Over this period, the city expects to store 3 billion gallons of water beyond what AWS uses for cooling​.

What do Hermiston residents get out of this agreement?

Residents will have access to increased drinking water supply and lower costs. AWS will return at least 100 million gallons of potable water annually to the City, helping meet peak summer demand. The agreement is also expected to reduce the cost of water in the city because of increased availability.

What effect will this have on the environment and farmers?

The agreement helps conserve Columbia River water during peak summer months, benefits fish populations, and provides irrigation water to local small farmers within the Hermiston Irrigation district allowing HID to conserve water supply in Cold Springs Reservoir and extend their irrigation season.