Conscious Water Use on Campus

An-Najah's commitment to conscious water use is formalized in university policy, so that it shapes decisions across every department, contractor and campus:

• Water Policy: commits the University to reduce water consumption by 25% by 2030, cut water use per student and staff member every year, fix leaks immediately, apply low-water standards in procurement, and encourage mindful water habits through behavior-change campaigns and awareness events.

• Water Reuse and Conservation Policy: requires rainwater harvesting on all suitable buildings, greywater recycling, low-flow fixtures, smart irrigation, sensor-based leak detection and audits of high-use areas such as laboratories, greenhouses and dormitories. It also calls for campaigns that motivate students and staff to reduce consumption and report leaks or misuse.

• Sustainability Policy and Environmental Conservation Policy: place water within the University's wider sustainability and environmental commitments.

The University also follows the Palestine Green Building Guidelines for all new and renovated buildings.

• Water Research Unit: as a Part of the Energy, Water and Food Security Research Center, the Unit monitors compliance with the water policies, evaluates performance indicators, tests drinking water across campus, and, together with the Sustainability Office, publishes an annual Water Use and Reuse Report.

• Sustainability Office: Reporting to the University President, the Sustainability Office coordinates water initiatives across campuses, leads awareness and training for students and staff, and coordinates emergency responses with the Environment Quality Authority and local municipalities.

• Engineering, Maintenance and Public Services: The University's engineering and services departments operate and maintain water networks, storage tanks, treatment units and irrigation systems, act on alerts from smart meters, and ensure leaks are repaired quickly.

• Community Service Center and Deanship of Student Affairs: Together they deliver the Community Service and Sustainable Development course and its training workshops, bringing water-saving messages to thousands of students every year.

You cannot manage what you do not measure. Through precise measurement systems and smart infrastructure, An-Najah tracks how much water it uses, where it comes from, and how much is reused:

• Potable water for drinking, laboratories and sanitary use;

• Mains and extracted water from municipal networks and groundwater wells;

• Reused water from treated wastewater and greywater; and

• Rainwater collected from rooftops and surfaces.

Smart meters and sensors at key points record data continuously and send alerts when flow or quality looks abnormal, so leaks and overflows are caught early. Sensor-based systems also track tank levels to prevent overflow. Results are published in the University's annual water measurement and reuse reports.

All new and rehabilitated University buildings follow strict water-efficiency standards based on the Palestine Green Building Guidelines (2024):

Low-flow taps, dual-flush toilets and water-efficient equipment are standard choices, and the University applies low-water criteria when purchasing new equipment.

An-Najah runs a campus-wide water recycling program so that fresh water is saved for the uses that truly need it:

• Treated wastewater: the urban campuses are connected to the Nablus West Wastewater Treatment Plant, and treated water is returned for irrigation at the Tulkarem campus. The Faculty of Agriculture in Tulkarem also operates its own on-site purification plant to irrigate trees, crops and research fields.

• Greywater: shower water from sports facilities is collected, filtered and reused for irrigation.

• Rainwater: water from rooftops, open spaces and parking areas is collected, filtered and reused for irrigation, cleaning, cooling towers, fire prevention and toilet flushing in selected buildings.

• Aquaculture: The Tulkarem fish farm uses a closed-loop system and reuses its water to irrigate trees and shrubs.

With non-potable demand of around 40,000 m³ a year, recycled sources now meet the large majority of the University's non-drinking water needs.

With around 30% of campus set aside as green and open space, An-Najah designs its landscapes to minimize water use:

• native and drought-tolerant plants, grouped by water needs (hydro-zoning);

• drip irrigation, smart controllers and soil moisture sensors;

• irrigation in the early morning or at night to reduce evaporation;

• recycled water and rainwater used before fresh groundwater;

• rain gardens, bioswales and tree pits that capture runoff; and

• quarterly irrigation audits, with leaks repaired within two weeks.

The University has installed 184 drinking water fountains and dispensers in academic buildings, offices, libraries, sports facilities and public areas across all campuses. Water is free, chilled and available throughout the day, and the Water Research Unit regularly tests all drinking water systems against national standards. By making it easy to refill a reusable bottle, the University also reduces single-use plastic waste.

Conscious use also means keeping water clean. Under the University's water pollution control and prevention program:

• three accredited laboratories (microbiology, chemistry and ICP-MS) test campus water;

• drinking water, wastewater, irrigation water and swimming pools are sampled every month;

• results are checked against Palestinian Water Authority and WHO standards and reported to the Environment Quality Authority twice a year;

• laboratory wastewater is neutralized and settled before discharge; and

• spill kits and trained rapid-response teams protect water from chemical accidents.

Infrastructure saves water; people sustain the culture. An-Najah works to make every student and staff member a water-conscious user:

Sustainability in the curriculum

The Community Service and Sustainable Development course is mandatory, reaching around 5,000 students every year. Its training workshops address responsible resource use on campus. For example, a workshop on environmental sustainability and the SDGs (April 2025) for more than 100 students placed water and electricity conservation at the University at the top of its agenda and linked it to SDG 6.

Measuring awareness

The Sustainability Knowledge Test assesses students' and staff members' understanding of the 17 SDGs, including clean water and sanitation, before and after training, helping the University track and improve sustainability literacy.

Campaigns and staff training

In line with its water policies, the University runs behavior-change and awareness campaigns that encourage students and staff to save water and to report leaks or misuse, and provides training for staff and faculty so that water policies are understood and applied in daily work.

Water events on campus

• Environmental and Water Challenges Conference (September 2024): organized by the student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers on the New Campus, bringing together students, experts and water-sector organizations to discuss water pollution, resource management and sanitation.

• Local Conference of Youth on Climate Change (LCOY Palestine) (August 2026): hosted on campus, featuring the interactive workshop "Imagine Your Water-Resilient City."

• World Water Day celebration (March 2022): organised by the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Water Resources Management and FAO, with a focus on spreading water-conservation awareness among students.