15 October 2024
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Medan, Indonesia, 15 October 2024 — Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) continues to strengthen its commitment to sustainable resource management by expanding comprehensive water reuse and recycling programmes under its Green Campus initiative. Internal sustainability assessments for 2024 indicate that around 25 to 50 percent of the total water used on campus is now recycled and reused for non‑potable purposes, showing that water reuse has become an integral part of daily campus operations rather than a pilot‑scale effort.
As part of its institutional sustainability framework, USU combines clear policy direction with structured monitoring systems. Water reuse performance is tracked through an internal water recycling indicator, which measures the scale and consistency of water recycling and reuse across campus facilities.
These measurements are aligned with the university’s broader sustainability reporting and are coordinated by the USU Green Campus Team, ensuring that water management is not only technically effective but also measurable, transparent, and open to continuous improvement.
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USU’s water reuse strategy is built on the systematic collection, treatment, and redistribution of greywater, ablution water, and rainwater. Treated greywater and recycled water from worship facilities are used for landscape irrigation, toilet flushing, and cleaning, reducing demand for fresh water in routine campus activities.
Rainwater harvesting systems installed at the Faculty of Engineering, the Mini Stadium, and the Information Study Center help further reduce dependency on municipal and groundwater sources by supplying additional water for plants and outdoor maintenance.
At the Digital Learning Center, USU Hospital, and the Dental and Oral Hospital, advanced wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been built to treat wastewater and convert it into water suitable for reuse. The recycled water from these facilities directly supports the irrigation of green spaces and outdoor cleaning, significantly lowering overall water consumption and reducing the volume of wastewater released into the environment.
Through its Green Campus initiative, USU ensures that all recycled water is routinely monitored for both quality and system performance. The monitoring framework records the volume of water reused, tracks energy consumption in treatment processes, and evaluates the reduction in freshwater extraction that results from reuse.
The data demonstrate tangible progress in sustainable water management, confirming that USU’s policies, infrastructure investments, and operational practices are working together to deliver real environmental benefits in water conservation and recycling.
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USU’s water reuse programmes directly support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Clean Water and Sanitation by promoting efficient water use, reducing pollution, and expanding wastewater recycling. At the same time, they contribute to SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production by optimising the circular use of natural resources and reducing unnecessary extraction of fresh water.
These efforts are underpinned by Rector’s Regulation No. 3 of 2019 on the Implementation of the Green Campus Movement, which mandates efficient management of water, energy, and waste across all university units.
Through measurable outcomes, transparent reporting, and ongoing infrastructure investment, Universitas Sumatera Utara reinforces its role as a national leader in sustainable higher education and as a practical model of integrated green‑campus development.
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