Reducing Water Consumption on a Student Campus Through Communication Campaigns

Abstract

Water management is a significant component of ensuring the pursuit of sustainable goals in an organization. Universities are known actors committed to developing responsible behaviors in students, including water consumption. The present research investigates the changes in student water-related behaviors in campus living, due to an information and persuasion campaign that took place in the oldest university in Western Romania. The research is based on a quantitative statistical approach highlighting the changes in students’ self-perceived importance allocated to water use and water saving, due to a communication campaign that took place on campus premises, with over 6000 residents. The pre- and post-campaign questionnaire rendered over 800 valid responses, ensuring the representativeness of the results for the given campus. The campaign described in the research targeted raising students’ awareness of sustainability issues and nudging pro-environment behaviors. The water management component of the campaign aimed at reducing water consumption in student campus living without affecting cleanness and personal hygiene, by making better use of the existing resources. Students responded positively to nudge messages for the reduction in showering time and a better use of laundry machines. The campaign led to a measurable reduction in water waste, but the results need to be reinforced through new campaigning, to maintain the water-saving behavior in the student population.

1. Introduction

The United Nations recognize that universities “play a pivotal role in equipping the next generation with the knowledge and skills needed to achieve sustainable development” [1], to the extent that higher education institutions voluntarily take upon themselves the task of implementing the Agenda 2030 Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) [2] in their academic curricula, research and administrative practices [3,4]. An important component of sustainability is water (SDG 6), a goal seeking to ensure access to water and sanitation, but also pursuing the development of water-saving behaviors as part of sustainable lifestyles in the near future, as climate change is acknowledged to increase the water stress even for countries in mild climate areas [5]. The water crisis is considered to be one of the major challenges to sustainable development in the 21st century, and residential consumption of water is considered to be an actionable component that can be influenced to curb the dangerous increase in water wasting [6]. Residential consumers are often unaware of the importance of water conservation and of the ways in which even small behavioral changes can lead to a better management of resources, including the water reserve [7].

According to the Times Higher Education evaluation for 2024, 867 universities from 96 countries engaged in sustainable management practices targeting water resources and implementing effective campus policies [8]. Large university campuses have a water consumption pattern similar to medium-sized cities, as highlighted by Bonnet et al. [9]. University campuses display a variety of configurations with regard to the cities where they are located, as systematized by Den Heijer and Curvelo Magdaniel [10], the term ‘campus’ referring to the university buildings and the land owned or administrated by the university (or both).

University campus areas are capable of performing all of the functions pertaining to a city [11]: residential (ensuring housing for students, administrative and/or teaching staff), economic, infrastructural (ranging from pedestrian accessibility to car parks), leisure and relaxation (sports, cultural, and dining facilities) and, most importantly, educational and research functions [4,10]. Around the globe, universities intertwine with cities in securing the needed functions either on their own, or by cooperating with the city for the partial or complete supply of functions [10]. Water and sanitation needs, however, cannot be met by university campuses on their own, the complexity of urban water management being too large for individual institutions to manage independently. On campus, water is used predominantly for hygiene and drinking, but also for sports, research, watering the green areas, etc. A significant reduction in water consumption can be obtained through technical improvements (the replacement of appliances with more efficient ones, and the modification of installations in favor of ecological solutions) or through behavioral change [9], by developing a water-saving culture in the campus [12,13]. As Marinho et al. present [14], universities display a wide range of experiences with water saving or water conservation measures. Articles on the topic underline, however, that while positive changes can be obtained in water-saving behaviors, maintaining the trend represents a serious challenge [15]. Case studies on universities focusing on water-saving are abundant on all continents, from North and South America [14,16,17] to Europe [18,19,20], Asia [21,22,23,24,25,26], and Africa [27,28,29]; however, they are scarce in covering most Central European countries, including Romania [30]. Studies anticipate that water-saving attitudes will be more salient in the future, due to better environmental education, an increased interest in sustainable citizenship and the spread of sustainable lifestyles [5,31,32,33,34,35,36,37].

In the vast body of literature concerning water consumption and water saving in universities, the research team authoring the present study highlights the ones that describe the (positive) effects of information–persuasion campaigns on students as future carriers of responsibility for the responsible use of water, which is, arguably, a diminishing resource. As Katz et al. conclude from an extensive analysis on the instruments used to induce the responsible use of water resources [38], campaigns seem to be the most effective, capable of triggering longer-term, deeper consequences than pricing or enforcing traditional policy packages. Also, from the variety of topics dealt with in the literature on water use, water saving or conservation in universities, the research team was interested mainly in the interventions targeting student residencies, where young people are exposed to lifestyles capable of being replicated in their independent, adult, professional lives [4,12,17,29]. Thus, the research aims to narrow the gap in the literature regarding students’ awareness of their residential water consumption habits in campus life [39], not merely at the level of a snapshot in time, but as a component in their lives that can be steered towards a more sustainable variant, as indicated by studies that applied the Theory of Planned Behavior [40] to water consumption situations [6,7].

The present study focuses on a Romanian case, aiming to draw lessons from the experience of unfolding a sustainability-oriented campaign in a residential urban student campus in the oldest university in the Western part of the country [30]. Situated in the continental part of Europe, Romania has a temperate climate and a moderate availability of water resources. With 2000 cubic meters of water per capita per year, Romania is, according to World Bank data, just above the international threshold for water stress of 1700 cubic meters and more than twice below Europe’s average of 4500 cubic meters [41]. Studies on the selected geographic region point to the fact that the risk of water scarcity is predictable by the end of the century [5]. Research shows that up to 45% of water consumption in households in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries is due to personal hygiene [42]. Having this in mind, the research team decided to include in the study items related to showering, dental hygiene, and cleanliness (washing clothes or dishes) pertaining to students residing on campus, especially because the hygiene habits of young people are a relevant, but often ignored, factor in sustainability [42,43]. The objectives of the study are:

RO1. To assess students’ water consumption habits in campus living.

RO2. To evaluate the overall effectiveness of a campaign on students’ water-related behaviors.

2. Materials and Methods

To assess students’ water consumption behaviors in campus living and to analyze the impact of the communication campaign nudging water-saving attitudes, the research team resorted to a questionnaire-based survey, applied in two stages: before and at the end of the campaign. Such an approach allows for a comparative analysis of the results, assessing the effectiveness of persuasive messages in triggering sustainable behaviors.

Location

The residential area of the Politehnica University of Timisoara (UPT) campus is situated tangent to the city downtown district, as a compact set of dormitories close to educational buildings. It is roughly half of the area known in Timisoara as the ‘Students’ complex’, where local universities ensure the accommodation for over 13,000 young people who chose this city as their place of pursuing higher education. According to Romanian practices, the residencies are owned and administered by universities. The Students’ complex played a major role in the urban development of Timisoara [44]. The responsibly for the management of the area is shared by educational institutions and by the municipality, which provides utilities, ensures infrastructure-related works and enforces city rules regarding economic and social activities permitted on campus. In its desire to implement sustainability goals for Timisoara, the City Hall became aware of the importance of the Students’ complex area, further referred to as the ‘campus’ [4]. Two major recent events proved the socio-economic importance of the student residential campus in Timisoara: the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2019–2020, that kept students away and caused a major drop in the economic life and wellbeing of the city [4], and the implementation of the program Timisoara—European Capital of Culture in 2023, during which the campus hosted the largest number of cultural events, overpassing even the local cultural institutions [45]. The intervention described in this research targeted the UPT-administered residencies on the campus, but some of the campaign elements were visible to other students or community members. Each of the residencies offers students water from the municipal services for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene (showering, washing, laundry services). Water consumption is monitored per residence building, and not per consumption unit (individual rooms). Student accommodation costs are partially subsidized by the university; therefore, residents do not feel the effect of their consumption habits regarding utilities (water, electric energy, heat, and waste management). The intervention described in this article aimed to raise students’ awareness of the importance of saving resources, as part of their preparation for an independent, adult life.

Sample

The population of the survey consisted of students at the Politehnica University of Timisoara, residing in the 16 dormitories owned and managed by the university. This group represents an important segment for the study of water consumption behaviors in the university environment, having the following common characteristics: access to common resources, similar life experiences and the possibility to implement collective actions on responsible consumption. The initial study included a sample of 836 respondents randomly selected from the 6000 students accommodated in the UPT dormitories. This sample was investigated in May–June 2023, before the information campaign was conducted, thus providing a reference dataset on students’ water consumption behaviors. The final sample, investigated in February–March 2024, consisted of a group of 836 respondents, selected after the implementation of the information campaign on water-saving solutions. The use of two samples identical in size and structure allowed for a comparison concerning students at the two different moments in their campus living. This type of sampling offered the possibility to apply the t-test to compare the means of the responses, thus allowing a statistical evaluation of the effectiveness of the campaign. The p value was calculated to identify the change in behaviors (if any) that occurred in the surveyed population. The error margin for the survey, calculated at a 95% confidence level, is approximately ±3.2%.

Research tool

The questionnaire included questions on students’ water consumption behaviors, covering aspects such as the frequency of water use for different activities and the extent to which participants apply water-saving practices. Responses to the questions were measured on a five-point Likert scale, from “never” (scored 1) to “always” (scored 5). This scale was chosen to allow an assessment of the frequency of behaviors, providing a detailed insight into behavioral trends and changes. To ensure the validity of the tool, the questionnaire was evaluated through a quantitative validation stage on a pilot sample of 380 residents, both on- and off-campus. This validation procedure allowed the questions to be adjusted for clarity and relevance, thus reducing the risk of misunderstandings and ensuring that the items included accurately reflect the water consumption behaviors targeted by the study.

The questionnaire used in this study is part of a broader survey designed to assess various behaviors related to resource consumption among students. It includes multiple items that cover different aspects of sustainability practices, from energy usage to waste management. For the purpose of this specific research, we selected only those items that are directly related to water consumption behaviors.

Intervention

The intervention capitalized on a previous study on the UPT student population, showing that almost 60% of the on-campus students considered that better information about effective ways to reduce consumption and the presence of resource-saving behaviors in peers can lead to improved, environment-friendly behavior [46]. It consisted of three elements: (1) carrying out an information campaign in the student dormitories; (2) organizing a contest between dorms; (3) monitoring water consumption by reading water meters and comparing data with utility bills. On-campus students in the targeted area were exposed to pro-environment messages promoted via specially installed TV monitors at the reception hall of each dormitory. This green communication infrastructure permitted changing the information with ease, exposing students to planned messages, promoting the contest between dorms and ensuring the constant visibility of the campaign in a modern, creative and cost-effective manner. The communication campaign entitled ‘I Care’ promoted nudge messages pointing to pro-environmental behaviors, by highlighting the consequences of students’ consumption routines regarding utilities. Studies show that providing targeted, specific information and nudging commitment can be synergistic in changing pro-environmental behavior [12,15,47,48]. Examples of such messages for water consumption were ‘Keep the faucet off when brushing your teeth (guys—and while shaving 😃)’; ’Take short showers’; ‘Turn on the washing machine only when it’s fully loaded’; ‘Notify the administrator if you see taps or toilets leaking water’. Short video messages also demonstrated the influence of personal choices on water saving. At the same time, students were invited to participate in the contest ‘Student dorm—champion of sustainability’, aimed to offer a prize to the dorm that registers the best results in saving resources (water, electric energy and heat) by comparison to the data registered for the same dorm in the previous year. To promote awareness regarding urban water management issues, groups of students were also invited to visit the Water Museum in Timisoara, on the premises of the former water plant of the city. The campaign took place from October through December 2023 and the competition ‘Dorm—champion of sustainability’ was concluded by awarding the diploma ‘Dorm—champion of sustainable consumption of water’ in a ceremony organized in the spring of 2024, after the exams and the winter break. The data obtained from meter reading and comparison to water consumption in the previous year were used to establish the winner in the dorm contest, but also to understand whether the campaign had practical effects on water saving. No technical interventions took place in the monitored time span in terms of replacing water-related equipment with more efficient variants.

Data collection

Participation in both surveys was voluntary. The questionnaires were completed online, using the respondents’ mobile phones, which facilitated access and increased the response rate. The questionnaire was built on a specialized platform for sociological surveys and was available in Romanian. All participants were informed about the purpose of the study and consented to participate in the study. The confidentiality and anonymity of the respondents were guaranteed, and the data were used exclusively for academic purposes.

The collected data were statistically analyzed to outline a profile of the water consumer among students and to determine the impact of the information campaign. The t-test was used to compare the means of the responses in the two samples, assessing whether the differences observed are statistically significant.

3. Results

The results presented in the figure below (Figure 1) and capturing the water consumption routines related to washing dishes or food indicate a diversity in the students’ behaviors. The distribution of responses shows that the largest proportion of study participants (32.4%) opted for the response variant sometimes for turning the water tap to the maximum, suggesting fluctuating behaviors, dependent on specific circumstances. This category is followed by the category of students who chose the rarely option (26.1%), indicating a relatively moderate concern for reducing maximum water consumption during dish or food washing. A smaller percentage of respondents, 17.6%, said that they never use water to the fullest in these situations, which could reflect a high awareness of water conservation and consistent saving behavior. On the other hand, 15.7% said they often use water to the fullest, and an even smaller percentage of respondents, 8.2%, said they always do so.

Analyzing the distribution of responses regarding respondents’ behavior in relation to the habit of letting water run while brushing their teeth, it is noted that almost half of the participants, 47.2% to be precise, stated that they never do so (Figure 1). This indicates a majority tendency to save water by avoiding unnecessary consumption during oral hygiene routines. This category is followed by respondents who answered that they do this rarely (19.1%), indicating a moderate concern for water conservation. A total of 15.4% of students said they sometimes let water run while brushing their teeth, which may reflect a fluctuating attitude, likely influenced by occasional factors or specific circumstances. On the other hand, 8.5% of respondents said they let the water run often, and a similar 9.8% claimed that they always do so. These groups suggest a more liberal use of water, less oriented towards conservation. Cumulatively, the data suggest that 66.3% of respondents rarely or never used water continuously while brushing their teeth, indicating a significant ecological awareness trend among this group. On the other hand, 18.3% of respondents (those who answered often or always) tended to use water frequently, which may indicate a need for educational interventions to induce water-saving behaviors.

The next set of questions collected data on the showering routines of the on-campus residents. Overall, the data indicate a varied distribution of habits related to water consumption during showering. There is a balance between those who frequently let the water flow and those who were careful to interrupt it. Almost one third of the respondents (28.6%) said they always let water run while soaping (Figure 1). This behavior suggests a widespread habit of not interrupting water, which may indicate a reduced awareness of saving water or a lack of effective water saving practices. On the other hand, almost a quarter of respondents (23.5%) stated that they never let water run while soaping, indicating concern for water conservation among this group. A segment of 18.1% of students chose the option sometimes, which suggests intermediate behavior, and about 16% of them (15.9%) said that they often let the water flow, although they do not always do it. The smallest percentage of respondents (13.9%) rarely let water run during soaping, showing a relatively constant attention to saving water, but without a strict application of this practice.

To the statement “I turn on the taps a few minutes before showering” the largest group of respondents (35.6%) stated that they never do so, which suggests a concern to avoid wasting water or an awareness of the need to conserve this resource (Figure 1). This category is followed by 17.7% of respondents who said they rarely turn on the taps before getting into the shower. Relatively similar percentages were recorded in the case of those who said they turn on the taps sometimes (17.2%) before showering, showing intermediate behavior, and 15.2% said they always leave the taps open a few minutes before showering, which may indicate a lack of awareness about saving water or a preference for the comfort of having the water at the optimal temperature before showering. To this category can be added about 14.3% of respondents who said they often turn on the taps before showering, but not always.

The evaluation of the respondents’ behavior in relation to the notification of water leaks and malfunctions in sanitary installations was conducted by introducing in the questionnaire the statement “I notify if I notice malfunctions in sanitary installations/water leaks”. The results suggest that the majority of respondents (68.9%) had a proactive attitude towards reporting failures in sanitary facilities, indicating a high level of awareness of the need to maintain infrastructure and save water resources (Figure 2). The cumulative percentage of those who always or often reported failures reaches 85.9%, suggesting a predominantly responsible culture in this area. However, there is a small percentage of respondents who never announced (1.5%) or rarely announced failures (2.7%), which could be a starting point for information campaigns on the importance of this behavior in the context of water conservation and the protection of sanitary infrastructure.

For the statement “I fix the sink faucet if it drips”, the results indicate that more than half of the respondents (54.8%) have chosen the answer option always (Figure 2). This indicates a proactive attitude in the maintenance of taps and a desire to avoid water loss through immediate interventions. The next category in terms of frequency is represented by students who answered often (17.5%), suggesting a regular behavior of repairing the faucet, although they did not exclude the possibility of postponing the intervention in certain situations. A smaller percentage of participants, 12.2%, said they sometimes repair the faucet when it drips, reflecting varying behavior, most likely influenced by different priorities or temporary circumstances. By contrast, 6.6% of respondents said they rarely perform repairs, and 8.9% said they never repair the faucet when it drips, which may indicate a lack of concern about water losses or possible resource limitations. Cumulatively, the data suggest that 15.5% of respondents approached tap repairs with a low frequency (rarely or never), which may signal a need for awareness and education on the impact of malfunctioning equipment on water resources. However, 72.3% of the population (those who chose the answer options often or always) showed a responsible attitude and orientation towards reducing water loss.

Overall, the data recorded for the statement “I watch the time spent daily in the shower so that I fit in 5, maximum 10 min” suggests that most respondents did not pay particular attention to this aspect (Figure 2). The largest segment of study participants (32.2% of respondents) indicated that they sometimes monitored the time spent in the shower, while 26.7% rarely did so. A smaller percentage of respondents, 20.6%, often monitored their time spent in the shower and 20.5% always monitored this time.

To the statement “I don’t start the washing machine or dishes for a few items/clothes, I wait until it can be fully loaded”, more than half of the students included in the study (52.9%) opted for the always answer variant, which suggests a high concern for the efficient use of washing machines and a reduction in the undue consumption of resources (Figure 2). This category is followed by those who responded often (24.3%) to the above statement. At the other end of the scale, 5.2% of respondents declared that they rarely do so, and 4.4% said they never wait to fully charge the washing machine, which may suggest a lack of concern for the optimal use of resources or a lifestyle that requires frequent washing, regardless of the number of items. Cumulatively, the data suggest that 77.2% of respondents used washing machines in a responsible way, waiting until they are completely loaded (the answers always and often), indicating an ecological awareness and a concern for saving water and energy.

Effects of the information campaign on water consumption behaviors

In the study, a t-test for independent samples was used to assess the differences in environmental behavior between the two distinct moments (the initial moment, before the information campaign was conducted, and the final moment, after the campaign). The analysis revealed statistically significant differences between the two moments for four variables related to environmental behavior, as follows:

• Watching the time spent daily in the shower: The t-test showed a statistically significant difference between the two moments (t = −13.486, p < 0.001). The difference in the mean was −0.905, indicating that initially, students spent significantly less time monitoring the duration of showers, compared to the final stage. After the implementation of the campaign, an increase in rigor was observed in the behavior related to saving water, by reducing the duration of showers.
• Avoiding the use of the washing machine for a few items/clothes: The t-test revealed a significant difference between before and after the campaign (t = −2.612, p = 0.009), with a mean difference of −0.159. The result shows that, initially, participants were more likely to use the washing machine for small quantities of clothes or dishes. After the campaign, there was an increase in the tendency to wait until full charge, reflecting more sustainable and resource-saving behavior.
• Reporting failures in sanitary facilities: The t-test indicated a significant difference before and after the campaign (t = −2.779, p = 0.006), with a mean difference of −0.133. This result suggests that initially, participants were less inclined to report plumbing failures, such as water leaks. After the implementation of the campaign, an increase in the responsible behavior of reporting these failures was observed, reflecting an improvement in the attitude towards resource conservation.

The results obtained highlight significant differences between the two evaluation moments in terms of resource-saving behaviors and environmental protection. Initially, participants exhibited less environmentally friendly behaviors, not minding the time spent on showering, and turning on the washing machine for small amounts of laundry or dishes. They were also less likely to report plumbing failures, which could lead to water waste. These behaviors can be interpreted as the result of a reduced ecological awareness or an attitude less concerned with saving resources.

By contrast, after the unfolding of the communication campaign, participants demonstrated more sustainable practices, suggesting a more pronounced environmental education or a better awareness of the impact on the environment, which led them to adopt more responsible behaviors. The other variables analyzed recorded p-values higher than 0.05, which indicates the absence of significant differences between the attitudes displayed by the sample of students in the two moments in time.

Interpreting the results obtained before and after the “I Care” campaign

The interpretation of the results obtained before and after the “I Care” campaign (Figure 3) reveals a positive change in the participants’ perception concerning their level of information about ways to reduce water consumption. Before the campaign, the average score of the degree of information reported by the participants on a scale of 1 to 10 was 6.74. This score, above the median of the scale, suggests that participants already had some degree of awareness of water-reducing practices. According to respondents’ perception, after the implementation of the campaign, the self-rated score increased to 7.43. This increase of 0.69 points (about 10.2%) is relevant, suggesting that the materials, information, and activities within the campaign had a clear impact on education, and raised awareness about reducing water consumption among participants. It demonstrates that the exposure to the ’I Care’ campaign helped to improve the level of information among the participants, providing them with practical, specific and applicable knowledge, which was not sufficiently known previously.

4. Discussion

Our findings show that the implementation of a communication campaign in a residential campus can influence sustainability-related behaviors, thus resonating with case studies presenting the effects of similar projects in university campuses [12,14,18]. On-campus students perceived their own progress towards sustainable behaviors during the academic year of 2023–2024 and their monitoring in time (pre- and post-intervention) showed that some of the behaviors (although not all) were actionable and could be steered towards desired models. However, the information campaign is not the sole factor influencing behavior. As Wilding and colleagues demonstrate, asking questions about intentions and/or behaviors is associated with a small but significant effect on subsequent behaviors [49], especially regarding socially desirable ones. Conducting the initial survey drew students’ attention to their habitual routines and created a favorable context for internalizing the pro-environmental messages promoted by the ‘I Care’ campaign. The fact that the messages were packaged in digital formats and promoted via TV monitors in the most circulated area of the dorms, the reception halls, also helped the understanding of practical aspects related to sustainable behaviors. The intervention steered students towards sustainable behaviors without affecting their level of comfort or reducing access to water resources for hygiene, cleanness, and drinking. By responding to the questionnaire and by being exposed to nudge messages suggesting the effect of their behavior on water consumption (towards saving or wasting), students had a clear exposure to a socially desirable model, consistent with the findings in the studies based on the Theory of Planned Behavior [6,7]. The persistence of such behaviors in the long term, however, is debatable, as other case studies indicate, unless new campaigns are implemented to consolidate the routines [15,50]. Despite this limitation, the presented intervention is a key step towards greening the university campus and implementing a culture of sustainability, affecting not only the targeted university, but city life as a whole. Such campaigns can be used as models for influencing the general population of Timisoara or other cities. In 2024, several similar campaigns were launched in Romania, targeting the general population, but the results are still to be seen [51,52]. Research demonstrated that campaigns, although in need of financial and logistical support, are educational, capable of triggering longer-term, deeper consequences, and less likely to encounter public resistance [38].

5. Conclusions

The conclusions of the study underline the positive impact of the ’I Care’ information campaign on the behaviors related to water consumption of students at the Politehnica University of Timisoara. The data analysis revealed that before the campaign, students displayed less environmentally friendly habits, as indicated by their self-assessed showering routines or mindfulness regarding laundry washing. They were also less likely to report plumbing failures, which could lead to water waste. After the implementation of the campaign, student behaviors changed, reflecting a greater awareness of saving resources and the adoption of more sustainable practices. There has been an increase in rigor in monitoring the time spent in the shower, a more frequent use of energy-efficient washing programs, and a greater tendency to wait for washing machines to be fully loaded. Fault reporting has also become a more widespread practice.

These results suggest that exposure to the “I Care” campaign helped improve students’ ecological knowledge and behaviors. The increase in the average self-assessment score of the information on the reduction in water consumption confirms that the campaign materials and activities have had a positive impact in educating and raising awareness among the participants. These data are corroborated with the information deducted from monitoring the metered water consumption in the dormitories. While not all dormitories registered a water consumption reduction, an overall reduction in the total water consumption in the UPT dormitories could be obtained, thus encouraging the conclusion that students can be educated to adopt sustainable practices in everyday life.

The results show that the effectiveness of the campaign was relatively high, with respondents indicating a shift in their cognition and self-perception as water consumers. The findings offer valuable practical implications for universities seeking to implement sustainability goals in campus living through promoting pro-environmental behaviors. Especially in countries like Romania, where sustainability concerns in universities are relatively new as a topic [4,53], starting with campaigns in the campus can prove rewarding. Students are motivated by messages related to realities they know from direct experience, and competitions between dorms stimulate them to engage in the proposed activities. However, to consolidate such behaviors, additional support is needed in the form of housing regulations, the periodical reinforcement of pro-environmental messages and some form of reward (even if it is not in the form of financial incentives) [4].

In conclusion, the “I Care” campaign highlights the role of universities, as microcosms of urban life, in promoting and exemplifying sustainable water management. Such initiatives bring direct benefits to the local community, while contributing to the achievement of global sustainability goals. Also, presenting such results to the academic community extends the grounds for creating the synergy between higher education institutions in the region in finding relevant arguments towards implementing sustainability principles in their activities, not only in research or teaching, but also in the mundane effort of student housing. By adopting a continuous process of innovation and reinforcing responsible behaviors, higher education institutions can prepare future leaders that are capable of facing the environmental challenges of their generation.

6. Limitations

The authors of the present study acknowledge certain limitations that need to be considered to better understand the results and their relevance. First, it focused on students in the dormitories of the Politehnica University of Timisoara, which limits the applicability of the results to other higher education institutions or in other geographical and cultural regions. Therefore, the extension of the conclusions to other populations should be conducted with caution.

Second, voluntary participation in the survey may influence the representativeness of the results, because students whose awareness of environmental issues is increased may associate with their beliefs an increased willingness to share their thoughts on the matter. In addition, given that the data were collected through self-administered questionnaires, there is a risk that respondents provided answers that were considered socially acceptable, rather than reflecting their actual behaviors, thus influencing the accuracy of the data.

The time span allocated for the study may also influence the interpretation of the results. Behavioral changes encountered immediately after the implementation of a campaign may not be sustainable in the long term, with the possibility that the effect of the campaign may diminish over time and behaviors may return to baseline levels.

The study primarily uses quantitative data to assess changes in behavior. Qualitative methods, such as interviews or focus groups, could have provided deeper insights into the reasons behind specific behaviors or the perceived impact of the campaign. Also, looking into motivations that animate students to adopt certain (desirable) behaviors can be pursued with interesting results for the policy planners, who are interested in consolidating students’ lifestyles according to sustainability features.

It would be desirable for future studies to address these issues, including a control group, and extend the analysis to more varied geographical and cultural levels to confirm and complement the conclusions reached. An interdisciplinary approach that includes perspectives from the behavioral sciences could also help develop more effective behavior change strategies.