UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
SWARTWOUT, ROBERT L.
New Mexico Utilities, Inc.
4700 Irving Boulevard, N.W., Suite 201
Albuquerque, NM 87114
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
SOUTHWEST WATER COMPANY
SWWC
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Statement for Month/Year
July 31, 1999
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
( ) Director ( ) 10% Owner (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
(specify below)
President of New Mexico Utilities, a subsidiary of SWWC
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
(X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1. Title of Security |2. |3. |4.Securities Acquired (A) |5.Amount of |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect |
| Transaction | or Disposed of (D) | Securities |ect | Beneficial Ownership |
| | | | Beneficially |(D)or | |
| | | | | A/| | Owned at |Indir | |
| Date |Code|V| Amount | D | Price | End of Month |ect(I)| |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Common Stock $0.01 par valu|07/01/|I |V|12 |A |$13.0313 | | | |
e |99 | | | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Common Stock $0.01 par valu|07/20/|R |V|24 |A |$17.0308 |5,017 |D |Jt.Ten. /1 |
e |99 | | | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<CAPTION>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1.Title of Derivative |2.Con- |3. |4. |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount |8.Price|9.Number |10.|11.Nature of|
Security |version |Transaction | rivative Secu |cisable and| of Underlying |of Deri|of Deriva |Dir|Indirect |
|or Exer | | | rities Acqui |Expiration | Securities |vative |tive |ect|Beneficial |
|cise | | | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/| |Secu |Securities |(D)|Ownership |
|Price of| | | posed of(D) |Day/Year) | |rity |Benefi |or | |
|Deriva- | | | |Date |Expir| | |ficially |Ind| |
|tive | | | | A/|Exer-|ation| Title and Number | |Owned at |ire| |
|Secu- | | | | | D |cisa-|Date | of Shares | |End of |ct | |
|rity |Date |Code|V| Amount | |ble | | | |Month |(I)| |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Stock Option (Right to|$8.46 |03/23|A | |4,133 |A |/2 |3/24/|Common Stock|4,133 | |4,133 |D | |
Buy) | |/92 | | | | | |02 | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Stock Option (Right to|$5.90 |03/29|A | |1,963 |A |/3 |3/29/|Common Stock|1,963 | | | | |
Buy) | |/94 | | | | | |04 | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Stock Option (Exercise|$9.29 |1/23/|M | |315 |D | |3/29/|Common Stock|315 | | | | |
) | |96 | | | | | |04 | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Stock Option (Exercise|$7.74 |4/21/|M | |756 |D | |3/29/|Common Stock|756 | | | | |
) | |97 | | | | | |04 | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Stock Option (Right to|$7.37 |4/21/|M | |397 |D |/3 |3/29/|Common Stock|397 | |495 |D | |
Buy/Exercise) | |98 | | | | | |04 | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Stock Option (Right to|$5.44 |3/14/|A | |2,081 |A |/4 |3/15/|Common Stock|2,081 | | | | |
Buy) | |95 | | | | | |05 | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Stock Option (Right to|$8.57 | |M | |315 |D | |3/15/|Common Stock|315 | | | | |
Buy/Exercise) | | | | | | | |05 | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Stock Option (Right to|$7.14 |4/21/|M | |378 |D | |3/15/|Common Stock|378 | | | | |
Buy/Exercise) | |97 | | | | | |05 | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Stock Option (Right to|$6.80 |4/21/|M | |397 |D |/4 |3/15/|Common Stock|397 | |991 |D | |
Buy/Exercise) | |98 | | | | | |05 | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Stock Opption (Right t|$7.22 |2/8/9|A | |2,463 |A |/5 |3/15/|Common Stock|2,463 | | | | |
o Buy) | |6 | | | | | |05 | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Stock Option (Right to|$9.03 |4/21/|M | |857 |D |/5 |3/15/|Common Stock|857 | |1,606 |D | |
Buy/Exercise) | |97 | | | | | |05 | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Employee Stock Option |$10.10 |2/12/|A | |2,625 |A |/6 |2/13/|Common Stock|2,625 | |2,625 |D | |
(Right to Buy) | |97 | | | | | |07 | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Employee Stock Option |$12.80 |1/27/|A | |2,500 |A |/7 |1/28/|Common Stock|2,500 | |2,500 |D | |
(Right to Buy) | |98 | | | | | |08 | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Employee Stock Option |$15.125 |2/04/|A | |2,800 |A |/8 |02/05|Common Stock|2,800 | |2,800 |D | |
(Right to Buy) | |99 | | | | | |/09 | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
/1, /2, /3, /4, /5, /6 and /7 adjusted for stock dividends paid on 1/20/96,
1/20/97 and 1/20/98 and a 5-for-4 stock split paid on 10/20/98..
/2 exercisable @ 1/5 a year beginning 3/23/93. /3 exercisable @ 1/5 a year
beginning 3/28/95. /4 exercisable @ 1/5 a year beginning 3/14/96.
/5 exercisable @ 1/5 a year beginning 2/8/97. /6 exercisable @ 1/5 a year
beginning 2/12/98. /7 exercisable @ 1/5 a year beginning 1/27/99.
/7 exercisable @ 1/5 a year beginning 2/4/00.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ Robert L. Swartwart
DATE
July 30, 1999
