On September 30th, 2025, Water Finance Exchange (WFX) and the Southwest Environmental Finance Center (SWEFC) convened a water and wastewater infrastructure funding workshop in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This workshop brought together local, state, and federal government officials from five agencies, five technical assistance providers, an array of water sector experts, and over 60 community leaders from 16 distinct communities to discuss the funding programs available for municipal water systems, with a focus on small and rural communities.
James Markham, a Research Engineer with the SWEFC, and Hank Habicht, Managing Co-Founder for WFX, provided opening remarks before a keynote from Rebecca Roose, Infrastructure Advisor to the Governor, and presentations from state and federal funding agencies and technical assistance providers. Presentations focused on the financial and technical resources available to communities in New Mexico to support the planning, funding, and implementation of water and wastewater infrastructure projects, to meet public health, sanitary sewer, and economic development goals. Participants and presenters also discussed shared challenges and strategies to address water and wastewater infrastructure improvements.