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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies: (Details) customer in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) customer registrant	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 27, 2015 USD ($)
Basis of Presentation:
Number of registrants filing combined report | registrant	2
Sales and Use Taxes:
Non-income tax assessments accounted on a gross basis	$ 4,378,000	$ 4,276,000
Debt Issuance Cost	4,500,000	4,900,000	$ 4,600,000
AWR | Syndicated Credit Facility
Related Party Transactions
Maximum borrowing capacity on line of credit	100,000,000
GOLDEN STATE WATER COMPANY
Related Party Transactions
Payments to affiliate for corporate office administrative and general costs	1,000,000	707,000
Sales and Use Taxes:
Franchise fees billed to customers and recorded as operating revenue	867,000	871,000
Non-income tax assessments accounted on a gross basis	$ 3,987,000	3,918,000
GOLDEN STATE WATER COMPANY | Promissory Note
Related Party Transactions
Debt instrument, face amount				$ 40,000,000
Debt instrument, maximum borrowing capacity				40,000,000
GOLDEN STATE WATER COMPANY | Purchase, production, distribution and sale of water
Nature of Operations:
Number of customers served | customer	260
GOLDEN STATE WATER COMPANY | Electricity distribution
Nature of Operations:
Number of customers served | customer	24
ASUS
Sales and Use Taxes:
Non-income tax assessments accounted on a gross basis	$ 62,000	$ 32,000
ASUS | Promissory Note
Related Party Transactions
Debt instrument, face amount				10,000,000
Debt instrument, maximum borrowing capacity				$ 10,000,000
ASUS | Contracts
Nature of Operations:
Period of fixed price contracts to operate and maintain the water and/or wastewater systems at various military bases	50 years
Sales and Use Taxes:
Period of fixed price contracts to operate and maintain the water and/or wastewater systems at various military bases	50 years
Sales | GOLDEN STATE WATER COMPANY | Purchase, production, distribution and sale of water
Nature of Operations:
Percentage of total revenue	90.00%
Notes Receivable [Member] | AWR | Promissory Note
Sales and Use Taxes:
Notes Receivable, Related Parties, Current	$ 0

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