Medan, (September 04, 2024) — Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) is strengthening its position as an environmentally responsible campus by implementing comprehensive water quality standards and operational guidelines to control wastewater discharge and protect surrounding ecosystems. These measures are designed to safeguard both the campus community and the environment, while supporting global sustainability agendas on Clean Water and Life on Land.


USU’s water-quality policies are aligned with Indonesia’s national regulations, including Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021 and Ministry of Environment Regulation No. 5 of 2014. In line with these rules, the university defines permissible limits for key wastewater parameters such as Potential of Hydrogen (pH), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), and coliform levels. By grounding its internal standards in these legal frameworks, USU ensures that wastewater generated from campus activities is treated and monitored according to nationally recognised environmental thresholds.


The implementation of these standards is coordinated by the Environmental Health and Safety Unit (K3L) in partnership with the Bureau of Asset and Business Management (BPAU). Together, they oversee regular sampling and testing at wastewater outlets from laboratories, the teaching hospital, and student dormitories. Monitoring is conducted on a routine basis to confirm that effluent meets quality requirements before it enters the campus drainage network or the wider environment. This proactive approach allows USU to detect any deviations early and take corrective action promptly, reducing the risk of pollution in surrounding waterways and soils.


To support safe and efficient wastewater handling, USU operates a combination of centralized and decentralized treatment systems, tailored to the size and function of individual facilities. These systems employ biological and chemical treatment processes to lower pollutant levels, while sedimentation and aeration tanks help separate suspended solids and improve oxygen content. Disinfection stages are used to significantly reduce pathogen loads, ensuring that treated effluent is safe for non-potable uses. In several locations, once the treated water meets specified quality standards, it is reused for irrigation and landscape maintenance—watering campus green areas, arboretums, nurseries, and tree-planting plots under the Green Campus programme.


Digital monitoring tools further reinforce this management system. Through the SIRENBANG-USU environmental monitoring platform, water-quality data from key points across campus are compiled and reported to the Medan City Environmental Agency (DLH) for verification and oversight. This transparent reporting mechanism demonstrates that USU’s wastewater practices are not only shaped by internal policies but also subject to external environmental supervision, enhancing accountability and public trust.


The reuse of treated wastewater is deliberately integrated into USU’s broader sustainability and resource-efficiency agenda. By substituting reclaimed water for fresh municipal supply in non-drinking applications, the university reduces its consumption of clean water, eases pressure on local water resources, and exemplifies the principles of a circular water economy. At the same time, the steady supply of irrigation water helps maintain healthy green landscapes on campus, which contribute to micro-climate regulation, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity support.


USU’s water-quality and wastewater management initiatives are anchored in its Green Campus Policy, articulated in Rector’s Regulation No. 3 of 2019, and strengthened by the 2023 Circular Letter on Environmental Management and Carbon Neutrality by 2029. These policy documents require all faculties and administrative units to integrate environmental safeguards into their planning and daily operations, including sustainable infrastructure design, pollution prevention, waste minimisation, and responsible use of water and energy. An environmental, social, and governance (ESG) perspective complements these requirements, ensuring that operational decisions are aligned with long-term institutional sustainability objectives.


Taken together, these measures reflect Universitas Sumatera Utara’s clear commitment to sustainable resource management and environmental protection. By combining comprehensive water-quality standards, rigorous monitoring, effective treatment systems, and beneficial reuse of treated effluent, USU demonstrates how a university can manage water responsibly while protecting ecosystems and public health. Through its integrated approach, the university’s campuses function as living examples of ecological balance—where clean water management, healthy landscapes, and community well-being are treated as shared priorities in advancing both Clean Water and Life on Land.