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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Regulatory Rate Filings) (Details) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |
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Feb. 17, 2017 USD ($) | Jan. 06, 2017 USD ($) | Nov. 15, 2016 USD ($) | Sep. 15, 2016 USD ($) | Jun. 28, 2016 USD ($) $ / Ccf | Jun. 10, 2016 USD ($) | Jun. 09, 2016 USD ($) | Feb. 29, 2016 USD ($) | Feb. 05, 2016 USD ($) $ / Ccf | Dec. 15, 2015 USD ($) $ / Ccf | Dec. 03, 2015 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) | Jan. 05, 2015 USD ($)
Public Utilities General Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Regulatory Balancing and Memorandum Accounts, Net Under-Collected |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 3,173,000 |  |  |
Balancing Account, Revenue Increase (Reduction) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 11,024,000 | $ 2,745,000 | $ 41,657,000 |
Requested rate increase for 2016 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 34,928,000
Requested rate increase for 2016 as percentage of total revenue at time of request |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 12.22%
Requested rate increase for 2017 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 9,954,000
Requested rate increase for 2017 as percentage of total revenue at time of request |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3.11%
Requested rate increase for 2018 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 17,567,000
Requested rate increase for 2018 as percentage of total revenue at time of request |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5.36%
Public Utilities, Approved Rate Increase, Percentage, Year 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8.60% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Regulatory Balancing and Memorandum Accounts, Net Under-Collected, Approved |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 3,776,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Requested Regulatory Surcharge, Interim True-Up |  |  |  |  | $ 8,767,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Balancing and Memorandum Account Previously Recorded |  |  |  |  | 524,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Requested Regulatory Surcharge, Gross |  |  |  |  | $ 9,291,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Requested Regulatory Surcharge, Per CCF | $ / Ccf |  |  |  |  | 0.1832 |  |  |  | 0.1441 | 0.0492 |  |  |  |  |  |
Memorandum Account, Authorized Recovery |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 7,668,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Authorized Regulatory Surcharge, Per 15 CCF |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0.46 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Public Utilities, Requested Rate Increase (Decrease), Amount |  |  | $ 13,205,000 |  |  | $ 21,439,000 |  | $ 1,659,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Public Utilities, Requested Rate Increase (Decrease), Percentage |  |  | 3.80% |  |  | 6.72% |  | 0.55% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Water Reduction Target Goal, Percentage |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 20.00% |  |  |  |
Regulatory Balancing and Memorandum Accounts Review, Authorized Revenue, Threshold Percentage |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2.00% |  |  |
Balancing and Memorandum Account, Surcharge Offset |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 | 0 | 0 |
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net Regulatory Assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 151,773,000 | 168,563,000 |  |
Current regulatory assets, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 16,064,000 | 16,542,000 |  |
Total regulatory assets, net, less current portion |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 135,709,000 | 152,021,000 |  |
Balancing Account, Recovery Request |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,599,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Balancing Account, Uncollected |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 590,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
2016 General Rate Case True-up [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Public Utilities General Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Balancing Account, Revenue Increase (Reduction) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8,767,000 |  |  |
Balancing and Memorandum Account Previously Recorded |  |  |  |  | $ 185,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Deferred Income Tax Charge [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Regulatory assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10,139,000 | 8,184,000 |  |
Postretirement pensions and other medical benefits [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Regulatory assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 109,795,000 | 109,168,000 |  |
Balancing and Memorandum Accounts [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Regulatory assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 25,909,000 | 45,206,000 |  |
Other Regulatory Assets [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Public Utilities General Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Balancing Account, Revenue Increase (Reduction) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (483,000) | (293,000) | $ (447,000) |
Regulatory Assets and Liabilities [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Regulatory assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5,930,000 | 6,005,000 |  |
2014 WCMA [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Public Utilities General Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Memorandum Account, Authorized Recovery |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 4,259,000 |  |  |  |  |
Authorized Regulatory Surcharge, Per CCF |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0.08 |  |  |  |  |
WCMA Reserve |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,089,000 | 1,278,000 |  |
Authorized Regulatory Surcharge, Net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,981,000 |  |
2015 WCMA [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Public Utilities General Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Memorandum Account, Authorized Recovery |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 19,854,000 |  |
WCMA Reserve |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,112,000 | 2,343,000 |  |
Balancing and Memorandum Account, Surcharge Offset |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 12,139,000 |  |
Authorized Regulatory Surcharge, Net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 5,372,000 |  |
Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Public Utilities General Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Authorized Regulatory Surcharge, Per 15 CCF | $ 1.52 | $ 3.66 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Public Utilities, Requested Rate Increase (Decrease), Amount | $ 5,339,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Public Utilities, Requested Rate Increase (Decrease), Percentage | 1.50% | 3.65% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Nonregulated Operation [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Public Utilities General Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Public Utilities, Approved Rate Increase (Decrease), Percentage |  |  |  | 8.60% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Authorized Regulatory Surcharge, Per CCF |  |  |  | $ 0.1832 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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- Definition Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of capitalized costs of regulated entities that are expected to be recovered through revenue sources within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer. Such costs are capitalized if they meet both of the following criteria: a. It is probable that future revenue in an amount at least equal to the capitalized cost will result from inclusion of that cost in allowable costs for rate-making purposes. b. Based on available evidence, the future revenue will be provided to permit recovery of the previously incurred cost rather than to provide for expected levels of similar future costs. If the revenue will be provided through an automatic rate-adjustment clause, this criterion requires that the regulator's intent clearly be to permit recovery of the previously incurred cost. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 980 -SubTopic 340 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6499975&loc=d3e44250-110382 + Details
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