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Income Taxes Unrecognized Tax Benefits (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits before impact of deductions for state taxes, excluding interest and penalties | $ 684sjw_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsGross | $ 565sjw_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsGross
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate | 14us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate | 13us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits [Roll Forward] |  |
Balance at December 31, 2013 | 535us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits |
Increase related to tax positions taken during a prior year, including interest | 118us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromCurrentPeriodTaxPositions |
Reductions related to tax positions taken in a prior year, including interest | (4)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions |
Balance at December 31, 2014 | 649us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits |
Accrued interest expense net of the benefit of tax deductions | 14us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued |
Cumulative reduction in unrecognized tax benefits, due to lapsing of statutes of limitations | $ 1us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense |

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- Definition Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Gross + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Amount of unrecognized tax benefits pertaining to uncertain tax positions taken in tax returns. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Unrecognized Tax Benefit -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6527854 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15A -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=SL6600010-109319 + Details
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- Definition Amount of decrease in unrecognized tax benefits resulting from tax positions taken in prior period tax returns. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15A -Subparagraph (a)(1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=SL6600010-109319 + Details
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- Definition Amount of expense for interest on an underpayment of income taxes and penalties related to a tax position claimed or expected to be claimed in the tax return. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319 + Details
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- Definition Amount of increase in unrecognized tax benefits resulting from tax positions that have been or will be taken in current period tax return. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15A -Subparagraph (a)(2) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=SL6600010-109319 + Details
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- Definition Amount of interest expense accrued for an underpayment of income taxes. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319 + Details
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- Definition The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15A -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=SL6600010-109319 + Details
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