Exhibit 99.1


           Southwest Water Company Appoints General Counsel


    LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 17, 2007--Southwest Water
Company (Nasdaq:SWWC) has appointed William K. (Ken) Dix as general
counsel, a newly created position.

    "Ken is well-versed in litigation management, contract
negotiation, risk management and employment law," said Mark Swatek,
CEO and chairman, about the appointment. "He has more than 20 years of
in-depth experience and has proven to be an assertive contract
negotiator as well as an expert in regulatory compliance, acquisitions
and corporate governance, including Sarbanes-Oxley. Having Ken on
staff will enable us to get prompt, effective legal guidance in real
time and assist us in managing our legal costs."

    For the past five years, as a sole practitioner, Dix, 51, provided
counsel on licensing, contracts, governance and real estate lease
negotiations to small- and mid-cap companies, and helped guide more
than 20 acquisitions. Earlier, he was vice president, general counsel
and corporate secretary at Genetronics Biomedical Corp., where he was
responsible for FDA, FTC and SEC regulatory compliance, employment law
matters and negotiation of all agreements. He was vice president and
general counsel at Metabolife International, managing the legal and
compliance department functions. He also provided legal support for
changing the company's business model from distributorships to mass
retail. As vice president and general counsel at Jenny Craig, Inc.,
Dix was responsible for corporate legal matters, most notably the
litigation management of two of the largest class-action matters in
U.S. history at the time. As senior counsel for Aetna Health Plans,
Inc., he negotiated provider contracts and facility leases and
established the provider appeal process for the Plan.

    A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Dix is a member of
the bars of California, District of Columbia and Pennsylvania. As a
captain in the U.S. Air Force, he piloted F-4E Phantom jet fighters
and was a staff officer to the Assistant Secretary of Defense.

    Southwest Water Company specializes in water utility operations,
maintenance and management services, including water production,
treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment,
billing and collection, infrastructure construction management, and
public works services. The company owns regulated public utilities and
also serves cities, utility districts and companies through operations
contracts. More than two million people in the United States depend on
Southwest Water for expert, reliable service. For additional
information and career opportunities, visit the company's website,
www.swwc.com.


    CONTACT: Southwest Water Company
             DeLise Keim, VP, Corp. Communications, 213-929-1846
             www.swwc.com
             or
             PondelWilkinson Inc.
             Robert Jaffe, 310-279-5969
             www.pondel.com