Medan, Indonesia. Universitas Sumatera Utara provides free drinking water through refill stations and dispensers located in academic and administrative facilities across campus. The service is available to students, lecturers, administrative staff, and visitors, including at the Integrated Research Laboratory and Faculty of Vocational Studies. By enabling campus users to refill reusable bottles at no cost, USU supports convenient access to drinking water while promoting responsible consumption and reducing reliance on single-use plastic packaging.

According to the university’s institutional account, refill facilities are available in faculties, administrative offices and academic centres, including the Integrated Research Laboratory. Users can refill their personal bottles without payment while attending classes, carrying out research, working or visiting university facilities. The account also describes encouragement to use reusable tumblers during academic activities, meetings and university events.

USU Free Drinking Water at the Faculty of Vocational Studies

A documented example is the Faculty of Vocational Studies, where drinking water is provided free of charge. The faculty's official TikTok account, @vokasiusu_official, features the facility, offering a publicly accessible reference to this campus service. This specific location illustrates how drinking-water access can support everyday academic activities and the use of reusable bottles.

The service is intended to make drinking water easier to obtain during everyday campus activities. Free refills offer an alternative to repeated purchases of individually packaged water, while the use of personal bottles can reduce demand for disposable packaging. The practical benefit depends on accessible refill points, reliable replenishment and clear information about who may use the facilities.

A related supply arrangement is documented in USU’s 2025 procurement contract register. Entry 229 records a drinking-water refill contract for USU Hospital, dated 9 January 2025, with CV. Usaha Bersama. This provides dated evidence of institutional procurement for refill water. The contract listing does not specify whether that water was provided free to all campus user groups.

Free drinking water also appears in the university’s 2025 Equity research and innovation guide. Its SDG 6 indicator table identifies provision for students, staff and visitors. The guide places this service within the university’s sustainability assessment framework, although the indicator description is not an operational report on individual refill stations.

Through free drinking water facilities across its academic and administrative environment, Universitas Sumatera Utara demonstrates its commitment to accessible campus services, student and staff wellbeing, and sustainable resource consumption. The availability of dispensers and refill stations supports everyday hydration needs while encouraging the use of reusable bottles. This institutional initiative contributes to SDG 6 by expanding access to drinking water and complements SDG 12 through the reduction of single-use plastic consumption.