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Military Privatization (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Military Privatization
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts	$ 11,736us-gaap_BillingsInExcessOfCostCurrent	$ 6,852us-gaap_BillingsInExcessOfCostCurrent
Receivables from the U.S. government:
Less: allowance for doubtful accounts	(892)us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable	(1,187)us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable	(1,228)us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable	(1,048)us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable
Pretax income
Increase in pretax operating income	119,045us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	119,072us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	111,094us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Military Utility Privatization Subsidiaries
Military Privatization
Period of fixed price contracts to maintain water systems at various military bases	50 years
Initial contract period	2 years
Price redetermination interval	3 years
Revenues recognized net of billings to date
Revenues (costs and estimated earnings) recognized on uncompleted contracts	91,141us-gaap_GovernmentContractReceivableUnbilledAmounts / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember	78,741us-gaap_GovernmentContractReceivableUnbilledAmounts / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember
Less: Billings to date	(56,114)us-gaap_AccountsReceivableBilledForLongTermContractsOrPrograms / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember	(32,262)us-gaap_AccountsReceivableBilledForLongTermContractsOrPrograms / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember
Total	35,027us-gaap_UnbilledReceivablesNotBillableAtBalanceSheetDate / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember	46,479us-gaap_UnbilledReceivablesNotBillableAtBalanceSheetDate / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember
Amount included in accompanying balance sheets
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts	46,763us-gaap_CostsInExcessOfBillingsOnUncompletedContractsOrPrograms / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember	53,331us-gaap_CostsInExcessOfBillingsOnUncompletedContractsOrPrograms / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts	(11,736)us-gaap_BillingsInExcessOfCost / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember	(6,852)us-gaap_BillingsInExcessOfCost / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember
Total	35,027us-gaap_UnbilledReceivablesNotBillableAtBalanceSheetDate / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember	46,479us-gaap_UnbilledReceivablesNotBillableAtBalanceSheetDate / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember
Receivables from the U.S. government:
Billed receivables from the U.S. government	6,709us-gaap_BilledContractReceivables / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember	7,106us-gaap_BilledContractReceivables / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember
Unbilled Contract Receivables, Current	3,689awr_UnbilledContractReceivablesCurrent / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember	0awr_UnbilledContractReceivablesCurrent / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember
Unbilled Contract Receivables, Non-current	3,513awr_UnbilledContractReceivablesNoncurrent / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember	3,104awr_UnbilledContractReceivablesNoncurrent / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember
Less: allowance for doubtful accounts	0us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember	0us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember
Pretax income
Government Contract Receivable	13,911us-gaap_GovernmentContractReceivable / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember	10,210us-gaap_GovernmentContractReceivable / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember
American States Utility Services [Member] | Military Utility Privatization Subsidiaries
Pretax income
Increase in pretax operating income	19,351us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = awr_AmericanStatesUtilityServicesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember	16,737us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = awr_AmericanStatesUtilityServicesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember	24,608us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = awr_AmericanStatesUtilityServicesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | American States Utility Services [Member] | Military Utility Privatization Subsidiaries
Military Privatization
Revenue Recognition, Retrospective Rate-Setting Systems, Amount	1,700awr_RevenueRecognitionRetrospectiveRateSettingSystemsAmount / us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis = us-gaap_ReportableLegalEntitiesMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = awr_AmericanStatesUtilityServicesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts	$ 6,100us-gaap_BillingsInExcessOfCostCurrent / us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis = us-gaap_ReportableLegalEntitiesMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = awr_AmericanStatesUtilityServicesMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = awr_ContractedServicesMember

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