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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies: (Details)		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jul. 12, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) customer registrant	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 27, 2015 USD ($)
Basis of Presentation:
Number of registrants filing combined report | registrant				2
Related Party Transactions
Notes payable to bank		$ 77,000,000		$ 77,000,000		$ 28,000,000
Sales and Use Taxes:
Non-income tax assessments accounted on a gross basis		4,317,000	$ 4,326,000	12,863,000	$ 12,662,000
Debt issuance costs		4,400,000	4,700,000	4,400,000	4,700,000	$ 4,600,000
AWR | Promissory Note | Notes Receivable [Member]
Sales and Use Taxes:
Notes receivable		0		0
AWR | Syndicated Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Related Party Transactions
Maximum borrowing capacity on line of credit		100,000,000		100,000,000
GOLDEN STATE WATER COMPANY
Related Party Transactions
Payments to affiliate for corporate office administrative and general costs		984,000	659,000	3,000,000	2,000,000
Sales and Use Taxes:
Franchise fees billed to customers and recorded as operating revenue		1,100,000		3,000,000
Non-income tax assessments accounted on a gross basis		4,018,000	3,842,000	$ 11,828,000	11,508,000
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				261,000
GOLDEN STATE WATER COMPANY | Electricity distribution
Nature of Operations:
Number of customers served | customer				24,000
ASUS
Sales and Use Taxes:
Non-income tax assessments accounted on a gross basis		$ 62,000	$ 265,000	$ 209,000	$ 351,000
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			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			50 years
Sales | GOLDEN STATE WATER COMPANY | Purchase, production, distribution and sale of water
Nature of Operations:
Percentage of total revenue		90.00%	90.00%	90.00%	90.00%
Related Party Transaction [Domain]
Related Party Transactions
Line of Credit Facility Elective Maximum Additional Borrowing Capacity		$ 50,000,000		$ 50,000,000
Related Party Transaction [Domain] | GOLDEN STATE WATER COMPANY
Related Party Transactions
Line of Credit Facility Elective Maximum Additional Borrowing Capacity		$ 150,000,000		$ 150,000,000
Minimum [Member] | ASUS | Contracts
Summary of significant accounting policies
Period of Transition to Operate and Maintain Water Systems at New Military Base	8 months
Maximum [Member] | ASUS | Contracts
Summary of significant accounting policies
Period of Transition to Operate and Maintain Water Systems at New Military Base	10 months

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