XML 57 R36.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Regulatory Rate Filings) (Details) (USD $)
 0 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Nov. 07, 2014
Sep. 29, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Aug. 14, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Oct. 03, 2013
Jan. 05, 2015
Public Utilities General Disclosures [Line Items]              
Water Reduction Target Goal, Percentage     20.00%sjw_WaterReductionTargetGoalPercentage        
Regulatory Rate Filings, Authorized Rate Increase, Authorized Revenue, Year One       $ 22,102,000sjw_RegulatoryRateFilingsAuthorizedRateIncreaseAuthorizedRevenueYearOne      
Regulatory Rate Filings, Authorized Rate Increase, Percent of Authorized Revenue, Year One       9.81%sjw_RegulatoryRateFilingsAuthorizedRateIncreasePercentofAuthorizedRevenueYearOne      
Regulatory Rate Filings, Authorized Rate Increase, Authorized Revenue, Year Two       13,274,000sjw_RegulatoryRateFilingsAuthorizedRateIncreaseAuthorizedRevenueYearTwo      
Regulatory Rate Filings, Authorized Rate Increase, Percent of Authorized Revenue, Year Two       5.21%sjw_RegulatoryRateFilingsAuthorizedRateIncreasePercentofAuthorizedRevenueYearTwo      
Authorized Regulatory Surcharge, Gross   46,697,000sjw_AuthorizedRegulatorySurchargeGross          
Authorized Regulatory Surcharge, Recovery Period   3 years 3 years        
Authorized Regulatory Surcharge, Per CCF   0.2888sjw_AuthorizedRegulatorySurchargePerCCF          
Public Utilities, Requested Rate Increase (Decrease), Amount 8,042,000us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesRequestedRateIncreaseDecreaseAmount            
Public Utilities, Requested Rate Increase (Decrease), Percentage 2.91%us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesRequestedRateIncreaseDecreasePercentage            
Public Utilities, Requested Rate Increase (Decrease), Amended, Amount 8,135,000us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesRequestedRateIncreaseDecreaseAmendedAmount            
Public Utilities, Requested Rate Increase (Decrease), Amended, Percentage 2.94%us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesRequestedRateIncreaseDecreaseAmendedPercentage            
Total increase requested, percentage           23.10%sjw_RegulatoryRateFilingsIncreaseRequestedPercentOfAuthorizedRevenue  
Regulatory rate filings, requested rate increase, authorized revenue           2,400,000sjw_RegulatoryRateFilingsRequestedRateIncreaseAuthorizedRevenue  
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities [Abstract]              
Net Regulatory Assets     174,863,000us-gaap_NetRegulatoryAssets   83,543,000us-gaap_NetRegulatoryAssets    
Current regulatory assets, net     16,853,000us-gaap_RegulatoryAssetsCurrent   0us-gaap_RegulatoryAssetsCurrent    
Total regulatory assets, net, less current portion     158,010,000us-gaap_RegulatoryAssetsNoncurrent   83,543,000us-gaap_RegulatoryAssetsNoncurrent    
Customer Refund for Over Rate Collections   241,000sjw_CustomerRefundforOverRateCollections          
Authorized Regulatory Surcharge, Net   46,456,000sjw_AuthorizedRegulatorySurchargeNet          
Balancing and Memorandum Account, Previously Recorded   2,800,000sjw_BalancingandMemorandumAccountPreviouslyRecorded          
Net under-collected balancing and memorandum accounts     8,294,000sjw_RegulatoryBalancingandMemorandumAccountsNetUnderCollected        
Threshold of authorized revenue for balancing account or memorandum account review (percent)     2.00%sjw_RegulatoryBalancingandMemorandumAccountsReviewAuthorizedRevenueThresholdPercentage        
Income tax temporary differences [Member]              
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities [Abstract]              
Regulatory assets     6,731,000us-gaap_RegulatoryAssets
/ us-gaap_RegulatoryAssetAxis
= us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxChargesMember		   8,220,000us-gaap_RegulatoryAssets
/ us-gaap_RegulatoryAssetAxis
= us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxChargesMember		    
Postretirement pensions and other medical benefits [Member]              
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities [Abstract]              
Regulatory assets     115,494,000us-gaap_RegulatoryAssets
/ us-gaap_RegulatoryAssetAxis
= sjw_PostretirementPensionsAndOtherMedicalBenefitsMember		   62,949,000us-gaap_RegulatoryAssets
/ us-gaap_RegulatoryAssetAxis
= sjw_PostretirementPensionsAndOtherMedicalBenefitsMember		    
Balancing and Memorandum Accounts [Member]              
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities [Abstract]              
Regulatory assets     47,061,000us-gaap_RegulatoryAssets
/ us-gaap_RegulatoryAssetAxis
= sjw_BalancingandMemorandumAccountsMember		   7,689,000us-gaap_RegulatoryAssets
/ us-gaap_RegulatoryAssetAxis
= sjw_BalancingandMemorandumAccountsMember		    
Other Regulatory Assets [Member]              
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities [Abstract]              
Regulatory assets     5,577,000us-gaap_RegulatoryAssets
/ us-gaap_RegulatoryAssetAxis
= sjw_OtherRegulatoryAssetsMember		   4,685,000us-gaap_RegulatoryAssets
/ us-gaap_RegulatoryAssetAxis
= sjw_OtherRegulatoryAssetsMember		    
Subsequent Event [Member]              
Public Utilities General Disclosures [Line Items]              
Regulatory Rate Filings, Proposed Rate Increase, Authorized Revenue, Year One             34,928,000sjw_RegulatoryRateFilingsRequestedRateIncreaseYearOne
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Regulatory Rate Filings, Requested Rate Increase as Percentage of Total Revenue at Time of Request, Year One             12.22%sjw_RegulatoryRateFilingsRequestedRateIncreaseasPercentageofTotalRevenueatTimeofRequestYearOne
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Requested rate increase for 2017             9,954,000sjw_RegulatoryRateFilingsRequestedRateIncreaseYearTwo
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Regulatory Rate Filings, Proposed Rate Increase, Percent of Authorized Revenue, Year Two             3.11%sjw_RegulatoryRateFilingsProposedRateIncreasePercentofAuthorizedRevenueYearTwo
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Requested rate increase for 2018             17,567,000sjw_RegulatoryRateFilingsRequestedRateIncreaseYearThree
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Requested rate increase for 2018 as percentage of total revenue at time of request             5.36%sjw_RegulatoryRateFilingsRequestedRateIncreasePercentOfAuthorizedRevenueYearThree
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Balancing Account, Recovery Request             4,752,000sjw_BalancingAccountRecoveryRequest
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Amount of net over-collection requested to be refunded to customers             $ 976,000sjw_MemorandumAccountRecoveryRequest
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember