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General (Policies) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] |
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Text Block] | Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The new standard replaced most existing revenue recognition guidance in generally accepted accounting principles. The updated guidance also requires additional disclosures regarding the nature, timing and uncertainty of our revenue transactions. SJW Group adopted the new revenue standard on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective method and determined that no adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings was necessary for contracts with remaining obligations as of the effective date. In addition, SJW Group applied the “right to invoice” practical expedient. The adoption of the new standard requires certain changes to the recognition of balancing and memorandum account revenue and related costs (See Note 9, “Balancing and Memorandum Accounts”). However, the changes did not have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations, financial position, or cash flows. Concurrently, the company implemented ASU 2017-10, “Identifying the Customer in a Service Concession Arrangement.” Upon adoption of ASU 2017-10, amortization of the service concession fee paid to the City of Cupertino was determined to be an up-front payment and accordingly will be amortized as a reduction to future revenue as opposed to an amortization expense on SJW Group’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, “Financial Instruments - Overall” which changes the recognition of changes in fair value of financial liabilities when the fair value option is elected. In addition, the standard requires equity investments to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income instead of through other comprehensive income. The updated guidance affects the accounting for the company’s equity investment in California Water Service Group stock classified as an available-for-sale security (see Note 7 and 11 of “Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements”). The new standard became effective for SJW Group beginning in the first quarter of the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018. Prior to adoption of ASU 2016-01, SJW Group recognized changes in fair value for its equity investment in California Water Service Group stock through other comprehensive income or loss on the statement of comprehensive income. Upon adoption on January 1, 2018, SJW Group began recording the change in fair value of its equity investment in other income and expense. In addition, the ASU stated that entities should apply the new standard by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. As such, SJW Group recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment of $2,203 to beginning retained earnings to eliminate the cumulative change in fair value of its equity investment, net of tax from accumulated other comprehensive income. In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, “Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory,” which modifies existing guidance and is intended to reduce diversity in practice with respect to accounting for the income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of assets. The ASU requires that the current and deferred income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of assets be immediately recognized. Prior guidance allowed the entities to defer the consolidated tax consequences of an intercompany transfer of an asset other than inventory to a future period and amortize those tax consequences over time. SJW Group adopted this ASU effective January 1, 2018. As SJW Group did not have any unamortized tax expense, the company did not have any cumulative catch-up adjustments upon adoption of this ASU. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, “Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Costs,” which requires employers to present the service cost component of the net periodic benefit cost in the same income statement line item as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period. The standard provides that only the service cost component of net periodic pension costs is eligible for asset capitalization. Companies should present the other components of net periodic benefit costs separately from the line items that include the service cost and outside of any subtotal of operating income, if one is presented. ASU 2017-07 requires retrospective presentation in the income statement of the service cost component and the other components of net periodic cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost and prospective presentation from date of adoption for the capitalization in assets of only the service cost component of net periodic cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost. SJW Group adopted ASU 2017-07 effective January 1, 2018. As such, the consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the periods presented have been reclassified to reflect the retrospective changes. See Note 4 of “Defined Benefit Plan” for further discussion.
Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block] | On January 1, 2018, SJW Group adopted FASB ASC Topic 606 - “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” In accordance with Topic 606, management has determined that the company has four categories of revenues. The first category, revenue from contracts with customers, represents metered revenue of Water Utility Services which includes billings to customers based on meter readings plus an estimate of water used between the customers' last meter reading and the end of the accounting period. SJW Group satisfies its performance obligation upon delivery of water to the customer at which time the customer consumes the benefits provided by the company. The customer is typically billed on a bi-monthly basis after water delivery has occurred. The customer is charged both a service charge which is based upon meter size and covers a portion of the fixed costs of furnishing water to the customer and a consumption charge based on actual water usage. Unbilled revenue from the last meter reading date to the end of the accounting period is estimated based on the most recent usage patterns, production records and the effective tariff rates. As the company has the right to bill for services that it has provided, SJW Group estimates the dollar value of deliveries during the unbilled period and recognizes the associated revenue. Actual results could differ from those estimates, which may result in an adjustment to revenue when billed in a subsequent period. The second category, rental income, represents lease rental income from SJW Land Company tenants. The tenants pay monthly in accordance with lease agreements and SJW Group recognizes the income ratably over the lease term as this is the most representative of the pattern in which the benefit is expected to be derived from SJW Group’s underlying asset. The third and fourth revenue categories are other balancing and memorandum accounts and alternative revenue programs. Both are scoped out of Topic 606 and are accounted for under FASB ASC Topic 980 - “Regulated Operations.” Balancing and memorandum accounts are recognized by San Jose Water Company when it is probable that future recovery of previously incurred costs or future refunds that are to be credited to customers will occur through the ratemaking process. In addition, in the case of special revenue programs such as the Water Conservation Memorandum Account (“WCMA”), San Jose Water Company follows the requirements of ASC Topic 980-605-25, “Alternative Revenue Programs” in determining revenue recognition, including the requirement that such revenues will be collected within 24 months of the year-end in which the revenue is recorded. A reserve is recorded for amounts SJW Group estimates will not be collected within the 24-month period. This reserve is based on an estimate of actual usage over the recovery period, offset by applicable drought surcharges. In assessing the probability criteria for balancing and memorandum accounts between general rate cases, San Jose Water Company considers evidence that may exist prior to CPUC authorization that would satisfy ASC Topic 980 subtopic 340-25 recognition criteria. Such evidence may include regulatory rules and decisions, past practices, and other facts and circumstances that would indicate that recovery or refund is probable. When such evidence provides sufficient support, the balances are recorded in SJW Group’s financial statements.
Basis of Accounting, Policy | The unaudited interim financial information has been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in SJW Group’s 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K should be read with the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.
Earnings Per Share, Policy | Basic earnings per share is calculated using income available to common stockholders, divided by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is calculated using income available to common stockholders divided by the weighted average number of shares of common stock including both shares outstanding and shares potentially issuable in connection with deferred restricted common stock awards under SJW Group’s Long-Term Incentive Plan (as amended, the “Incentive Plan”) and shares potentially issuable under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”).

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- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for computing basic and diluted earnings or loss per share for each class of common stock and participating security. Addresses all significant policy factors, including any antidilutive items that have been excluded from the computation and takes into account stock dividends, splits and reverse splits that occur after the balance sheet date of the latest reporting period but before the issuance of the financial statements. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 260 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 260 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 260 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3630-109257 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84158767&loc=d3e18780-107790 + Details
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- Definition The entire disclosure of changes in accounting principles, including adoption of new accounting pronouncements, that describes the new methods, amount and effects on financial statement line items. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 250 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2122394 + Details
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- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for revenue recognition. If the entity has different policies for different types of revenue transactions, the policy for each material type of transaction is generally disclosed. If a sales transaction has multiple element arrangements (for example, delivery of multiple products, services or the rights to use assets) the disclosure may indicate the accounting policy for each unit of accounting as well as how units of accounting are determined and valued. The disclosure may encompass important judgment as to appropriateness of principles related to recognition of revenue. The disclosure also may indicate the entity's treatment of any unearned or deferred revenue that arises from the transaction. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84158767&loc=d3e18823-107790 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 605 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB Topic 13.B.Q1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65893310&loc=d3e214044-122780 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84158767&loc=d3e18780-107790 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84158767&loc=d3e18726-107790 + Details
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