Medan, Indonesia, 17 October 2024 — Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) shows a strong institutional commitment to water reuse and sustainable resource management across its campuses. This commitment is anchored in the Green Campus initiative, formalised through Rector’s Regulation No. 3 of 2019 on the Green Campus Movement. The regulation serves as the foundation for environmental sustainability at USU, emphasising efficiency in the use of energy, paper, plastics, and water, as well as the improvement of waste and wastewater management.

USU, as an institution, plans and plants its campus landscapes to minimise water usage by prioritising native and drought‑tolerant species and by integrating retention ponds and rainwater harvesting systems that supply irrigation water.

Institutional framework and Green Campus policy

Rector’s Regulation No. 3/2019 provides a comprehensive policy framework that requires every faculty, school, and administrative unit to adopt operational practices consistent with sustainability principles.

Following the issuance of this regulation, circular letters were sent to all faculties and study programmes, instructing them to implement water‑saving and water‑reuse measures in their daily operations. These directives encourage the use of:

  • Recycled greywater,
  • Harvested rainwater, and
  • Treated wastewater

for non‑potable purposes such as landscape irrigation, toilet flushing, and cleaning of campus facilities.

In this way, water reuse is not only encouraged in principle, but is embedded in formal procedures and responsibilities at the institutional level.

Infrastructure for water recycling and reuse

To ensure that policy is translated into practice, USU has invested in dedicated infrastructure for water recycling and reuse. Key facilities are equipped with wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and supporting systems, including:

  • The Digital Learning Center,
  • The USU Hospital, and
  • Several faculty complexes and academic buildings.

These systems collect and treat wastewater and greywater from toilets, laboratories, and service areas, using biological and mechanical processes. Treated water that meets safety standards is then reused for non‑drinking purposes, reducing reliance on groundwater and municipal networks.

In parallel, USU has integrated rainwater harvesting units into building designs and provided infiltration areas across the campus to support groundwater recharge. The harvested and recycled water is used to:

  • Maintain green spaces and landscaping,
  • Clean outdoor areas and facilities, and
  • Support other routine maintenance activities.

Together, this infrastructure forms an integrated system that supports water reuse across multiple units of the university.

Performance and evidence of implementation

Internal sustainability assessments for 2024 indicate that approximately 25 to 50 percent of USU’s total water use is now met through reused or recycled water.

This benchmark shows that water reuse is not only written in policy, but is being implemented consistently by various units across the university, supported by infrastructure and clear operational guidelines.

The results demonstrate how a combination of regulation, technical systems, and day‑to‑day practice can produce measurable outcomes in water conservation and reuse.

Supporting the Sustainable Development Goals

USU’s water reuse initiative directly supports SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) by promoting efficient water use, reducing pollution, and expanding wastewater recycling. At the same time, it contributes to SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) through responsible, campus‑wide resource management.

By institutionalising sustainability through Rector’s Regulation No. 3/2019, issuing clear implementation guidelines, and backing them with real infrastructure, USU demonstrates that it has formal processes in place to promote water reuse across the university. These efforts strengthen USU’s role in environmental stewardship and green campus transformation, and provide a practical model for higher education institutions in Indonesia that seek to integrate water reuse into everyday campus operations.