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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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Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Gross

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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



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Amount of decrease in unrecognized tax benefits resulting from tax positions taken in prior period tax returns.

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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.

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-Publisher FASB

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Amount of increase in unrecognized tax benefits resulting from tax positions that have been or will be taken in current period tax return.

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Amount of interest expense accrued for an underpayment of income taxes.

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The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate.

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