Medan, Indonesia. Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) promoted responsible water use in 2025 through staff communication, faculty environmental guidance and educational publishing. These activities encouraged attention to water consumption in daily campus operations and connected individual behaviour with the university’s wider sustainability responsibilities.

At the morning assembly on 17 February 2025, Vice Rector II for Human Resources and Finance Dr. Muhammad Arifin Nasution urged administrative personnel to use resources, including water and electricity, efficiently. Held in the Rectorate courtyard, the briefing placed economical resource use within the university’s operational-efficiency agenda. The university’s report, published the following day, records a direct appeal to staff to exercise care in using office facilities while maintaining work performance.

Faculty guidance provided a further channel for promoting conservation. On 25 November 2025, the Faculty of Vocational Studies adopted its Health, Occupational Safety and Environment Handbook through Dean’s Decree No. 1782/UN5.2.17.D/SK/TPM/2025. Intended for students, lecturers, administrative personnel and visitors, the handbook includes practical directions on responsible water use.

Its environmental chapter reports water-saving stickers in several faculty toilets. The illustrated reminder asks users to turn off taps when unused. Section 4.1 recommends reminders at taps, written guidance on prudent consumption, rainwater collection and automatic controls for washing and flushing. These provisions connect communication with facility management; the technology recommendations do not establish installation at every location.

Water Conservation Awareness Across Campus Facilities

USU's commitment to responsible water consumption is also reflected in water-saving reminders and operational guidance across its academic and supporting facilities. According to the university's 2025 Green Campus and UI GreenMetric Report, water conservation reminder stickers are documented in restroom facilities at the Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Integrated Research Laboratory, and USU Hospital.

These reminders encourage students, lecturers, administrative personnel, and visitors to avoid unnecessary water consumption during daily campus activities. The report also documents written water-saving policies at the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, and Integrated Research Laboratory, alongside standard operating procedures for clean water use at USU Hospital.

Together with the Faculty of Vocational Studies handbook, these measures bring water conservation messages directly into everyday campus environments and reinforce responsible use at points of consumption.

Supporting Responsible Water Use Through Campus Infrastructure

In addition to awareness initiatives, USU supports conscious water consumption through water-efficient facilities. The 2025 Green Campus and UI GreenMetric Report documents sensor-operated water outlets at the Integrated Research Laboratory and Information Study Center, controlled-flush sanitary fixtures at the Faculty of Pharmacy, and automatic water-level controls at the Faculty of Public Health.

By combining conservation reminders with practical water-saving technologies, USU links individual awareness with facility-level measures designed to reduce unnecessary water use.

Educational publishing also drew attention to less visible water demands. On 17 December 2025, the student press SUARA USU published coursework on the water footprint of artificial intelligence. The article discusses demand associated with digital infrastructure and encourages water-efficient practices, reuse and transparent reporting. It offers a documented example of water-awareness education within the university community, extending discussion beyond water consumed directly at taps.

Institutional assessment provides additional context. The UI GreenMetric results for 2025 list Universitas Sumatera Utara with a water-category score of 850. This confirms inclusion in that year’s sustainability assessment, although the score itself does not quantify consumption reductions or establish the effect of a particular campaign.

Through institutional appeals, faculty guidance, conservation reminders, educational publishing and water-efficient facilities, USU promotes responsible water use as part of daily campus life. These activities support the university’s continuing commitment to SDG 6 and a more water-conscious campus community.