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Evaluation of "Ghost Flushing" Habits: A Quantitative Survey on Non-Sanitary Use of Toilets among Civil Engineering Student in Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology · Area of research: Environmental Engineering, Plumbing
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I11-1718106
Abstract
This research study evaluates the prevalence and impact of "ghost flushing", the non-sanitary use of toilets as surrogate waste disposal units among Civil Engineering students at the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST)- Sumacab Campus, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. Using a descriptive-comparative quantitative design, the study surveyed 313 students to examine behaviors such as disposing of non-biodegradable solid waste (e.g., wet wipes, hair), food particles, and the unnecessary use of water for noise masking or odor control. The findings indicate that while students generally avoid disposing of food and chemicals in toilets, ghost flushing habits remain consistent across all year levels. A One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) confirmed no significant difference in these habits between first-year and fourth-year students, suggesting that improper toilet use is a deep-seated behavioral habit rather than a result of technical ignorance. Environmentally and economically, the study estimates that these habits result in approximately 660 unnecessary flushes per week, totaling 158.40 m³ (158,400 liters) of clean water wasted annually. This translated to an institutional financial loss of approximately ₱5,338.08 per academic year. The study concludes that such repeated individual actions lead to significant cumulative stress on the campus's hydraulic infrastructure and recommends targeted awareness campaigns and policy interventions to foster better infrastructure stewardship
Keywords
Ghost Flushing, Sanitation Behavior, Plumbing Systems, Water Waste, Water conservation.
References
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How to cite this paper
@article{1718106,
author = {Sherwin A. Candelaria, Marielle P. Angeles, Jejomar Pablo M. Bernardo, Lea Lyn Respicio; Cindy P. Rombano, Engr. Alelie Joy C. Alejo; Engr. Kevin Lester L. Mabalay},
title = {Evaluation of "Ghost Flushing" Habits: A Quantitative Survey on Non-Sanitary Use of Toilets among Civil Engineering Student in Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {9},
number = {11},
pages = {3794-3800},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1718106.pdf},
abstract = {This research study evaluates the prevalence and impact of "ghost flushing", the non-sanitary use of toilets as surrogate waste disposal units among Civil Engineering students at the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST)- Sumacab Campus, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. Using a descriptive-comparative quantitative design, the study surveyed 313 students to examine behaviors such as disposing of non-biodegradable solid waste (e.g., wet wipes, hair), food particles, and the unnecessary use of water for noise masking or odor control. The findings indicate that while students generally avoid disposing of food and chemicals in toilets, ghost flushing habits remain consistent across all year levels. A One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) confirmed no significant difference in these habits between first-year and fourth-year students, suggesting that improper toilet use is a deep-seated behavioral habit rather than a result of technical ignorance. Environmentally and economically, the study estimates that these habits result in approximately 660 unnecessary flushes per week, totaling 158.40 m³ (158,400 liters) of clean water wasted annually. This translated to an institutional financial loss of approximately ₱5,338.08 per academic year. The study concludes that such repeated individual actions lead to significant cumulative stress on the campus's hydraulic infrastructure and recommends targeted awareness campaigns and policy interventions to foster better infrastructure stewardship},
keywords = {Ghost Flushing, Sanitation Behavior, Plumbing Systems, Water Waste, Water conservation.},
month = {May},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I11-1718106}
}