Exhibit 99.1

   American States Water Company Announces Election of New Director


    SAN DIMAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 25, 2007--Effective
January 25, 2007, American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR) elected
Diana M. Bonta as a Class I director of the Company to serve until the
Company's annual meeting in 2007 or until her successor is duly
elected and qualified. Dr. Bonta was also elected as a director of two
of the Company's subsidiaries, Golden State Water Company and
Chaparral City Water Company.

    "Dr. Bonta's proven leadership experience and strong analytical
abilities are highly valued assets that will be of great importance to
the Company," said Lloyd Ross, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "We
are delighted to have her join the Board of Directors of the Company."

    Diana M. Bonta is the Vice President of Public Affairs of the
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, Southern California
Region. She previously served as the Director of the California
Department of Health Services from 1999-2004. She is currently a
member of the Council on Education in Public Health, a member of the
Board of Directors of The Center for the Study of Los Angeles at
Loyola Marymount University and a member of the Board of Trustees of
the California Health Professions Education Foundation. She also holds
advisory positions with the Board of Advisors of the Edmund G. "Pat"
Brown Institute of Public Affairs, the Centene Corporation Board of
Advisors, the Board of Advisors of the Center for Latino Community,
National Council of La Raza, California State University at Long Beach
and the Health Advisory Board of the University of Southern California
School of Policy, Planning and Development.

    Dr. Bonta holds doctorate and masters degrees in public health
from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she currently is
an Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Public Health. She is
also a graduate of the nursing program at the State University of New
York at Buffalo, which has awarded her the Distinguished Alumni Award.
She has received numerous other honors, including the Presidential
Citation Award of the American Public Health Association, the
California Women's Law Center Annual Pursuit of Justice Award and the
National Hispanic Employee Association Excellence in Public Service
Award.

    American States Water Company is the parent of Golden State Water
Company, American States Utility Services, Inc. and Chaparral City
Water Company. Through its subsidiaries, AWR provides water service to
1 out of 30 Californians located within 75 communities throughout 10
counties in Northern, Coastal and Southern California (approximately
254,000 customers) and to approximately 13,000 customers in the city
of Fountain Hills, Arizona and a small portion of Scottsdale, Arizona.
The Company also distributes electricity to approximately 23,000
customers in the Big Bear recreational area of California. Through its
non-regulated subsidiary, American States Utility Services, the
Company contracts with various municipalities, the U.S. government and
private entities to provide various services, including billing and
meter reading, water marketing and operation and maintenance of water
and wastewater systems.

    CONTACT: American States Water Company
             Robert J. Sprowls
             Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer,
             Treasurer and Corporate Secretary
             909-394-3600, extension 647