XML 49 R53.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9

Commitments Narrative (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				3 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014 agreement	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 1997	Jun. 30, 2015
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Purchased water		$ 47,280us-gaap_CostOfPurchasedWater	$ 63,225us-gaap_CostOfPurchasedWater	$ 66,106us-gaap_CostOfPurchasedWater
Reduction in delivery schedule		20.00%sjw_ReductioninDeliverySchedulePercent
Intangible assets		19,333us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross	18,341us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross
Supply Commitment, Remaining Minimum Amount Committed		400us-gaap_PurchaseCommitmentRemainingMinimumAmountCommitted
Other Commitment, Due in Next Twelve Months		17,100us-gaap_OtherCommitmentDueInNextTwelveMonths
Number of water agreements		180sjw_NumberofWaterAgreements
Collective Bargaining Agreement, Term of Contract	3 years
Collective bargaining agreement percent of wage increase for 2014	2.00%sjw_CollectiveBargainingAgreementWageIncreasePercentYearOne
Collective bargaining agreement percent of wage increase for 2015	2.00%sjw_CollectiveBargainingAgreementWageIncreasePercentYearTwo
Collective bargaining agreement percent of wage increase for 2016	3.00%sjw_CollectiveBargainingAgreementWageIncreasePercentYearThree
Santa Clara Valley Water District [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Master contract, negotiated term for delivery schedules		3 years
Water purchased in millions of gallons		17,782,000,000sjw_PurchasedWaterGallons / sjw_MajorSupplierAxis = sjw_SantaClaraValleyWaterDistrictMember	22,700,000,000sjw_PurchasedWaterGallons / sjw_MajorSupplierAxis = sjw_SantaClaraValleyWaterDistrictMember	22,800,000,000sjw_PurchasedWaterGallons / sjw_MajorSupplierAxis = sjw_SantaClaraValleyWaterDistrictMember
Purchased water		44,444us-gaap_CostOfPurchasedWater / sjw_MajorSupplierAxis = sjw_SantaClaraValleyWaterDistrictMember	52,500us-gaap_CostOfPurchasedWater / sjw_MajorSupplierAxis = sjw_SantaClaraValleyWaterDistrictMember	48,800us-gaap_CostOfPurchasedWater / sjw_MajorSupplierAxis = sjw_SantaClaraValleyWaterDistrictMember
Minimum percent of delivery schedule to be purchased in 2015		90.00%sjw_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentMinimumPercentageRequiredNextTwelveMonths / sjw_MajorSupplierAxis = sjw_SantaClaraValleyWaterDistrictMember
Minimum volume of water to be purchased in 2015		17,863,000,000sjw_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentMinimumVolumeRequiredNextTwelveMonths / sjw_MajorSupplierAxis = sjw_SantaClaraValleyWaterDistrictMember
Cost of water to be purchased in 2015		46,434us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueInNextTwelveMonths / sjw_MajorSupplierAxis = sjw_SantaClaraValleyWaterDistrictMember
Current contract water rate		2.6sjw_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentFixedPrice / sjw_MajorSupplierAxis = sjw_SantaClaraValleyWaterDistrictMember
Service Agreements [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Contract life of agreement with City of Cupertino					25 years
Intangible assets		11,069us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross / us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis = us-gaap_ServiceAgreementsMember
Concession Fees [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Intangible assets		6,800us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross / us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis = sjw_ConcessionFeesMember	6,800us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross / us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis = sjw_ConcessionFeesMember
SJWTX,Inc. dba Canyon Lake Water Supply Corporation [Member] | Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Long-term Purchase Commitment, Minimum Area Required, Next Twelve Months		6,900sjw_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentMinimumAcreFeetRequired / dei_LegalEntityAxis = sjw_SubsidiaryOneMember / sjw_MajorSupplierAxis = sjw_GuadalupeBlancoRiverAuthorityMember
Notice period required for contract adjustment		60 days
SJW Corp. [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Number of employees		354dei_EntityNumberOfEmployees / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
Executive, Administrative or Supervisory Personnel [Member] | SJW Corp. [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Number of employees		122dei_EntityNumberOfEmployees / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = sjw_ExecutiveAdministrativeOrSupervisoryPersonnelMember
Union Member [Member] | SJW Corp. [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Number of employees		232dei_EntityNumberOfEmployees / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember / us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis = sjw_UnionMemberMember
Minimum [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Contract life of agreement with City of Cupertino		5 years
Water property rights commitments		1,000sjw_WaterPropertyRightsCommitments / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember
Maximum [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Contract life of agreement with City of Cupertino		70 years
Water property rights commitments		1,300sjw_WaterPropertyRightsCommitments / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember
Scenario, Forecast [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Long-term Purchase Commitment, Amount						$ 47,500us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentAmount / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_ScenarioForecastMember

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