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Dividend Limitations (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Dividend limitations        
Common shareholder’s equity $ 506,801,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity $ 492,404,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity $ 454,579,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity $ 408,666,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) 253,602,000us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit 238,443,000us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit    
GSWC        
Dividend limitations        
Fixed amount in computing maximum ability to pay dividends 21,000,000.0awr_DebtCovenantDividendLimitationsFixedAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
     
Percentage of consolidated net income plus the aggregate net cash proceeds received from capital stock offerings or other instruments convertible into capital stock 100.00%awr_DebtCovenantDividendLimitationsVariableBasisPercentageOfConsolidatedNetIncome
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
     
Amount available to pay dividends under the most restrictive of the Note Agreements 367,700,000awr_AmountAvailableForDividendDistributionUnderDebtCovenants
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
     
Dividends paid 52,000,000awr_PaymentsOfDividendsFromSubsidiaries
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
29,400,000awr_PaymentsOfDividendsFromSubsidiaries
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
10,200,000awr_PaymentsOfDividendsFromSubsidiaries
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
 
Common shareholder’s equity 435,190,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
437,613,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
416,257,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
384,806,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
Ratio of Indebtedness to Net Capital 0.4367us-gaap_RatioOfIndebtednessToNetCapital1
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
     
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) 199,583,000us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
203,892,000us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
   
GSWC | Maximum        
Dividend limitations        
Ratio of Indebtedness to Net Capital 0.6667us-gaap_RatioOfIndebtednessToNetCapital1
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
     
AWR        
Dividend limitations        
Dividends paid     (16,900,000)awr_PaymentsOfDividendsFromSubsidiaries
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
 
Common shareholder’s equity 506,801,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
492,404,000us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) 199,600,000us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
American States Utility Services [Member]        
Dividend limitations        
Dividends paid     6,700,000awr_PaymentsOfDividendsFromSubsidiaries
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_AmericanStatesUtilityServicesMember
 
American States Utility Services [Member] | Maximum        
Dividend limitations        
Amount available to pay dividends $ 41,300,000us-gaap_StatutoryAccountingPracticesStatutoryAmountAvailableForDividendPayments
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_AmericanStatesUtilityServicesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember