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EPA awards UNM $7M to support small water systems

May 29, 2025 - By Carly Bowling

The University of New Mexico’s Southwest Environmental Finance Center will receive a $7 million grant to help build the technical, managerial, and financial capabilities of small water systems, improve operational efficiency and enhance drinking water system performance.

“Water is the foundation of everything, so if there is not a good drinking water system, everything else is going to fall apart. You aren’t going to have economic development, public health or a safe environment,” Heather Himmelberger, director of the Southwest Environmental Finance Center, said.

The grant is part of $30.7 million in funding awarded by the EPA to three projects that will support small water and wastewater systems.

The award builds on similar grants the center has received to support small water and wastewater systems serving 10,000 people or fewer throughout the region and the entire US, but this time with a special focus on training and technical assistance. Under this specific grant, the center and its collaborators will also help the water and wastewater systems with technical, financial, and managerial needs to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. The grant is in collaboration with Syracuse University, University of Maryland, Wichita State University, University of North Carolina, Mississippi State University, Morgan State University, Michigan Tech, Colorado State University, University of Tennessee, and the nonprofits Capacity Collaborative and Moonshot Missions.

Partnering with other institutions has allowed the Southwest Environmental Finance Center to offer more robust services to a greater number of water systems. Support offerings include assistance complying with regulations, helping systems acquire funding, enhancing service provided to customers, and training the water workforce.

This federal funding has received a 10% match from the State of New Mexico, allowing for even more small water systems to get assistance within the State.

“We’re just overjoyed that we won this award. We were very happy to see that EPA continues to value assistance to small water systems,” Himmelberger said.