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Balancing and Memorandum Account Recovery Procedures (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified | 0 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | ---
Sep. 29, 2014 | Sep. 30, 2014 | Sep. 30, 2013 | Sep. 30, 2014 | Sep. 30, 2013
Memorandum Accounts [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |  |
Beginning Balance |  | $ (1,511) | $ (1,558) | $ (1,895) | $ (1,887)
Revenue Increase(Reduction) |  | (154) | (279) | 230 | 928
Refunds (Collections) |  | 23 | 0 | 23 | (878)
Ending Balance |  | (1,642) | (1,837) | (1,642) | (1,837)
Balancing Accounts [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |  |
Beginning Balance |  | 10,309 | 7,788 | 9,585 | 5,436
Revenue Increase(Reduction) |  | 42,227 | 2,040 | 42,951 | 4,392
Refunds (Collections) |  | (149) | 0 | (149) | 0
Ending Balance |  | 52,387 | 9,828 | 52,387 | 9,828
Balancing and Memorandum Account [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |  |
Beginning Balance |  | 8,798 | 6,230 | 7,690 | 3,549
Revenue Increase(Reduction) |  | 42,073 | 1,761 | 43,181 | 5,320
Refunds (Collections) |  | (126) | 0 | (126) | (878)
Ending Balance |  | 50,745 | 7,991 | 50,745 | 7,991
Authorized Regulatory Surcharge, Gross | 46,700 |  |  |  |
Customer surcharge, recognition period | 3 years |  |  |  |
Customer refund for over rate collections, one time refund | 200 |  |  |  |
Previously recorded | 2,800 |  |  |  |
Net under-collected balancing and memorandum accounts |  | 3,721 |  | 3,721 |
Undercollection related to MCMA and MCRAMA |  | 87.00% |  | 87.00% |
Threshold of authorized revenue for balancing account or memorandum account review (percent) |  | 2.00% |  | 2.00% |
Water supply balancing accounts |  |  |  |  |
Balancing Accounts [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |  |
Beginning Balance |  | (1,221) | (1,833) | (2,378) | (1,590)
Revenue Increase(Reduction) |  | 2,477 | 679 | 3,634 | 436
Refunds (Collections) |  | (17) | 0 | (17) | 0
Ending Balance |  | 1,239 | (1,154) | 1,239 | (1,154)
Pension balancing account |  |  |  |  |
Balancing Accounts [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |  |
Beginning Balance |  | 9,672 | 8,307 | 9,734 | 6,657
Revenue Increase(Reduction) |  | (6,625) | 825 | (6,687) | 2,475
Refunds (Collections) |  | (123) | 0 | (123) | 0
Ending Balance |  | 2,924 | 9,132 | 2,924 | 9,132
2012 General Rate Case true-up |  |  |  |  |
Balancing Accounts [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |  |
Beginning Balance |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Revenue Increase(Reduction) |  | 46,456 | 0 | 46,456 | 0
Refunds (Collections) |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Ending Balance |  | 46,456 | 0 | 46,456 | 0
Other |  |  |  |  |
Balancing Accounts [Roll Forward] |  |  |  |  |
Beginning Balance |  | 1,858 | 1,314 | 2,229 | 369
Revenue Increase(Reduction) |  | (81) | 536 | (452) | 1,481
Refunds (Collections) |  | (9) | 0 | (9) | 0
Ending Balance |  | $ 1,768 | $ 1,850 | $ 1,768 | $ 1,850

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- Definition Authorized Regulatory Surcharge, Gross + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sjw_AuthorizedRegulatorySurchargeGross
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Balance Type: | credit
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- Definition This represents the under-collection or over-collection associated with expense changes and the revenue authorized by the CPUC to offset those expense changes. Pursuant to Section 792.5 of the California Public Utilities Code, a balancing account must be maintained for expense items for which revenue offsets have been authorized. Since the amounts in the balancing accounts must be approved by the CPUC before they can be incorporated into rates, the Company does not recognize balancing accounts in its revenue until CPUC approval occurs. It is typical for the CPUC to incorporate any over-collected and/or under-collected balances in balancing accounts into customer rates at the time rate decisions are made as part of the Company’s general rate case proceedings by assessing temporary surcredits and/or surcharges. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Balancing Account, Refunds (Collections) + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Balancing Account, Revenue Increase (Reduction) + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | sjw_
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- Details
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- Definition Balancing and Memorandum Account, Net + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Balancing and Memorandum Account, Previously Recorded + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | sjw_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
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- Definition Balancing and Memorandum Account, Refunds (Collections) + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | sjw_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
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- Definition Balancing and Memorandum Account, Revenue Increase (Reduction), Net + References No definition available. + Details
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Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
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- Details
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- Definition Customer Refund for Over Rate Collections + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sjw_CustomerRefundforOverRateCollections
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Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
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- Definition Customer Surcharge, Recognition Period + References No definition available. + Details
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Balance Type: | na
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- Definition This represents the memorandum accounts that track under-collection or over-collection for approved activities as directed by the CPUC. Rate recovery for these memorandum accounts is generally allowed in the next general rate cases. + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | sjw_
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- Definition Memorandum Account, Refunds (Collections) + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Memorandum Account, Revenue Increase (Reduction) + References No definition available. + Details
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- Details
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- Definition Regulatory Balancing and Memorandum Accounts,, Net Under-Collected + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Regulatory Balancing and Memorandum Accounts, Portion Attributable to Mandatory Conservation Memorandum Account and Mandatory Conservation Revenue Adjustment Memorandum Account. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Threshold balance of regulatory balancing or memorandum accounts as a percentage of authorized revenue to trigger an account review. + References No definition available. + Details
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