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Contingencies (Details) (GSWC, USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
customer
Nov. 04, 2014
Environmental Clean-Up and Remediation    
Contingencies    
Amount spent in clean-up and remediation activities 4,500,000us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationExpense
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= us-gaap_EnvironmentalIssueMember
 
Amount paid by the State of California Underground Storage Tank Fund for clean-up and remediation of plant facilities 1,500,000awr_EnvironmentalLossContingenciesPaidByThirdParty
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= us-gaap_EnvironmentalIssueMember
 
Accrued liability for the estimated additional cost to complete the clean-up at the site 1,400,000us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= us-gaap_EnvironmentalIssueMember
 
City of Claremont | Condemnation of Properties    
Contingencies    
Amount of Water Revenue Bonds Authorized to Finance Acquisition of the System   135,000,000awr_AmountofWaterRevenueBondsAuthorizedtoFinanceAcquisitionoftheSystem
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis
= awr_CityOfClaremontMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= awr_CondemnationOfPropertiesMember
Number of customers served through water systems 11,000awr_LossContingencyNumberOfCustomersServed
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis
= awr_CityOfClaremontMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= awr_CondemnationOfPropertiesMember
 
Ojai FLOW | Condemnation of Properties    
Contingencies    
Number of customers served through water systems 3,000awr_LossContingencyNumberOfCustomersServed
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis
= awr_OjaiFLOWMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= awr_CondemnationOfPropertiesMember
 
City of Apple Valley [Member] | Condemnation of Properties    
Contingencies    
Number of customers served through water systems 2,900awr_LossContingencyNumberOfCustomersServed
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis
= awr_CityofAppleValleyMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= awr_CondemnationOfPropertiesMember
 
City of Artesia [Member] | Condemnation of Properties    
Contingencies    
Number of customers served through water systems 3,300awr_LossContingencyNumberOfCustomersServed
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis
= awr_CityofArtesiaMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= awr_CondemnationOfPropertiesMember
 
Transmission and distribution | City of Claremont | Condemnation of Properties    
Contingencies    
Public Utilities, Property, Plant and Equipment, Net 47,700,000us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= awr_GoldenStateWaterCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis
= awr_CityOfClaremontMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= awr_CondemnationOfPropertiesMember
/ us-gaap_PublicUtilityAxis
= awr_WaterTransmissionAndDistributionMember