On November 19th, 2025, Water Finance Exchange (WFX) and the Southwest Environmental Finance Center (SW EFC) convened a water and wastewater infrastructure funding workshop for Tribal water and wastewater utilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This workshop brought together government agency representatives from the Indian Health Service (IHS) and the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department (NMIAD), four technical assistance providers, an array of water sector experts, and over 40 community leaders from 17 distinct Pueblos and Reservations to discuss the funding programs available for Tribal water systems.
Heather Himmelberger, Director of the SW EFC, and Hank Habicht, Managing Co-Founder of WFX, provided opening remarks before a keynote by NMIAD Cabinet Secretary Josett Monette, followed by presentations from funding agencies and technical assistance providers, as well as the final Tribal Working Group (TWG) for the 2025 year. Participants and presenters also discussed shared challenges and strategies to address water and wastewater infrastructure improvements in Tribal communities.