Other Affiliates	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Investments In and Advances To Affiliates, Schedule Of Investments [Abstract]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Schedule of Investments [Text Block]	9. Other Affiliates CW-Bermuda In June 2006, the Company formed a Bermuda-based affiliate, Consolidated Water (Bermuda) Limited (“CW-Bermuda”) with two other shareholders. The Company owns 40% of the equity interest and voting rights of CW-Bermuda. In January 2007, CW-Bermuda entered into a design, build, sale and operating agreement with the Government of Bermuda for a desalination plant to be built in two phases at Tynes Bay along the northern coast of Bermuda. Under the agreement, CW-Bermuda constructed the plant and managed its operations from the second quarter of 2009 through the expiration of the agreement on June 30, 2011. Because (i) the equity investment in CW-Bermuda was not sufficient to permit it to finance its activities without the loan from the Company; (ii) the other investors in CW-Bermuda have no obligation to absorb any significant amount of its losses should losses arise; and (iii) the Company expected and received economic benefits from CW-Bermuda that are significantly greater than the Company’s voting rights of 40%, CW-Bermuda constitutes a variable interest entity (“VIE”). The Company is the primary financial beneficiary of CW-Bermuda and accordingly, consolidates the results of CW-Bermuda in its financial statements. The assets and liabilities of CW-Bermuda included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet amounted to approximately $14,000 and $0 respectively, as of December 31, 2012. The Company has not provided any guarantees related to CW-Bermuda and any creditors of the VIE do not have recourse to the general credit of the Company as a result of including CW-Bermuda in the consolidated financial statements. The results of CW-Bermuda are reflected in the Company’s services segment. The Company did not earn any revenues or gross profit from its Bermuda affiliate in 2012 but generated revenues and gross profit of approximately $723,000 and $457,000, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2011. As a result of the expiration of the agreement with the Bermuda government, the Company does not expect to receive any future fees or revenues from CW-Bermuda. Mexico Affiliate In May 2010, the Company acquired, through its wholly-owned Netherlands subsidiary, Consolidated Water Cooperatief, U.A., a 50% interest in N.S.C. Agua, S.A. de C.V., (“NSC”) a Mexican company, and has since acquired the voting rights for, and an option to purchase, an additional 25% interest in this company. NSC has been formed to pursue a project encompassing the construction, ownership and operation of a 100 million gallon per day seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant to be located in northern Baja California, Mexico and an accompanying pipeline to deliver water to a Mexican potable water system and the U.S. border. The Company believes such a project can be successful due to what the Company anticipates will be a growing need for a new potable water supply for the areas of northern Baja California, Mexico and Southern California, United States. To complete this project, the Company has engaged two engineering groups with extensive regional and/or experience and has partnered with Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction (“DHIC”), a global leader in the engineering, procurement and construction of large seawater desalination plants. Once completed, a subsidiary of the Company would operate the plant while the Company will retain a minority position in its ownership. NSC is in the development stage, and is presently involved in (i) purchasing additional land on which to build the plant, (ii) seeking contracts for the electric power and feed water sources for the plant’s proposed operations, and (iii) conducting (under a Memorandum of Understanding with DHIC) an equipment piloting plant and water quality data collection program at the proposed feed water source. In addition to completing these activities, NSC will be required to complete various other steps before it can commence construction of the plant and pipeline including, but not limited to, obtaining approvals and permits from various governmental agencies in Mexico and the United States, securing contracts with its proposed customers to sell water in sufficient quantities and at prices that make the project financially viable, and obtaining equity and debt financing for the project. NSC’s potential customers will also be required to obtain various governmental permits and approvals in order to purchase water from NSC. For its 50% interest in NSC, the Company provided the initial funding of $4.0 million in the form of equity for NSC’s development activities and has also provided all subsequent funding for NSC. Because the Company exercises effective financial control over NSC and its partners in NSC have not participated in NSC’s funding, the Company consolidates NSC’s results of operations. Included in the Company’s consolidated results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 are approximately $1.7 million, $3.0 million and $1.7 million, respectively, in general and administrative expenses from NSC, consisting of organizational, legal, accounting, engineering, consulting and other costs relating to its project development activities. The assets and liabilities of NSC included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet amounted to approximately $1,452,000 and $116,000, respectively, as of December 31, 2012 and approximately $121,000 and $367,000, respectively, as of December 31, 2011. In February 2012, the Company acquired an option, exercisable through February 7, 2014, to purchase the shares of one of the other shareholders of NSC along with an immediate power of attorney to vote those shares. As a result, the Company now has effective control of NSC. In July 2012, NSC obtained an extension of the purchase contract for a portion of the land on which the proposed plant would be constructed. In exchange for additional prepayments of (i) $500,000 paid at signing of the extension and (ii) a further $500,000 payable on May 15, 2013, NSC was granted an extension of the purchase agreement until May 15, 2014. NSC is currently negotiating a purchase agreement for an additional parcel of land. In August 2012, NSC and DHIC extended their Memorandum of Understanding for 18 months from August 19, 2012, pursuant to which DHIC provided and installed and is operating an equipment piloting plant and collecting water quality data from the proposed feed water source site in Rosarito Beach, Baja California, Mexico. This amended Memorandum of Understanding requires that NSC negotiate exclusively with DHIC for the construction of the 100 million gallon per day seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant and further requires payment by NSC to DHIC of up to $500,000 as compensation for the operation and maintenance of the equipment piloting plant should NSC not award the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the project to DHIC. In November 2012, NSC signed a letter of intent with Otay Water District in Southern California to deliver no less than 20 million and up to 40 million gallons of water per day from the plant to the Otay Water District at the border between Mexico and the United States. NSC has entered into a 20 year lease, effective November 2012, for approximately 5,000 square meters of land on which it plans to construct the water intake and outtake works for the plant. The amounts due on this lease are payable in Mexican pesos at an amount that is currently equivalent to approximately $20,000 per month. This lease is cancellable should NSC ultimately not proceed with the project. The Company has determined that completing NSC’s development activities will require significantly more funding than has been expended to date and may incur significant development expenses in the future for this project. The Company estimates that it will take at least through the second quarter of 2014 for NSC to complete all of the development activities (which include completing the site piloting plant activities, purchasing the land for the plant, securing feed water and power supplies, completing the engineering and feasibility studies, negotiating customer contracts, obtaining required regulatory permits and arranging the project financing) necessary to commence construction of the plant. However, NSC may ultimately be unable to complete all of the activities necessary to begin construction of the project.

Other Affiliates

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Investments In and Advances To Affiliates, Schedule Of Investments [Abstract]

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Schedule of Investments [Text Block]

9. Other Affiliates

CW-Bermuda

In June 2006, the Company formed a Bermuda-based affiliate, Consolidated Water (Bermuda) Limited (“CW-Bermuda”) with two other shareholders. The Company owns 40% of the equity interest and voting rights of CW-Bermuda. In January 2007, CW-Bermuda entered into a design, build, sale and operating agreement with the Government of Bermuda for a desalination plant to be built in two phases at Tynes Bay along the northern coast of Bermuda. Under the agreement, CW-Bermuda constructed the plant and managed its operations from the second quarter of 2009 through the expiration of the agreement on June 30, 2011.

Because (i) the equity investment in CW-Bermuda was not sufficient to permit it to finance its activities without the loan from the Company; (ii) the other investors in CW-Bermuda have no obligation to absorb any significant amount of its losses should losses arise; and (iii) the Company expected and received economic benefits from CW-Bermuda that are significantly greater than the Company’s voting rights of 40%, CW-Bermuda constitutes a variable interest entity (“VIE”). The Company is the primary financial beneficiary of CW-Bermuda and accordingly, consolidates the results of CW-Bermuda in its financial statements. The assets and liabilities of CW-Bermuda included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet amounted to approximately $14,000 and $0 respectively, as of December 31, 2012. The Company has not provided any guarantees related to CW-Bermuda and any creditors of the VIE do not have recourse to the general credit of the Company as a result of including CW-Bermuda in the consolidated financial statements. The results of CW-Bermuda are reflected in the Company’s services segment. The Company did not earn any revenues or gross profit from its Bermuda affiliate in 2012 but generated revenues and gross profit of approximately $723,000 and $457,000, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2011. As a result of the expiration of the agreement with the Bermuda government, the Company does not expect to receive any future fees or revenues from CW-Bermuda.

Mexico Affiliate

In May 2010, the Company acquired, through its wholly-owned Netherlands subsidiary, Consolidated Water Cooperatief, U.A., a 50% interest in N.S.C. Agua, S.A. de C.V., (“NSC”) a Mexican company, and has since acquired the voting rights for, and an option to purchase, an additional 25% interest in this company. NSC has been formed to pursue a project encompassing the construction, ownership and operation of a 100 million gallon per day seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant to be located in northern Baja California, Mexico and an accompanying pipeline to deliver water to a Mexican potable water system and the U.S. border. The Company believes such a project can be successful due to what the Company anticipates will be a growing need for a new potable water supply for the areas of northern Baja California, Mexico and Southern California, United States. To complete this project, the Company has engaged two engineering groups with extensive regional and/or experience and has partnered with Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction (“DHIC”), a global leader in the engineering, procurement and construction of large seawater desalination plants. Once completed, a subsidiary of the Company would operate the plant while the Company will retain a minority position in its ownership. NSC is in the development stage, and is presently involved in (i) purchasing additional land on which to build the plant, (ii) seeking contracts for the electric power and feed water sources for the plant’s proposed operations, and (iii) conducting (under a Memorandum of Understanding with DHIC) an equipment piloting plant and water quality data collection program at the proposed feed water source. In addition to completing these activities, NSC will be required to complete various other steps before it can commence construction of the plant and pipeline including, but not limited to, obtaining approvals and permits from various governmental agencies in Mexico and the United States, securing contracts with its proposed customers to sell water in sufficient quantities and at prices that make the project financially viable, and obtaining equity and debt financing for the project. NSC’s potential customers will also be required to obtain various governmental permits and approvals in order to purchase water from NSC.

For its 50% interest in NSC, the Company provided the initial funding of $4.0 million in the form of equity for NSC’s development activities and has also provided all subsequent funding for NSC. Because the Company exercises effective financial control over NSC and its partners in NSC have not participated in NSC’s funding, the Company consolidates NSC’s results of operations. Included in the Company’s consolidated results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 are approximately $1.7 million, $3.0 million and $1.7 million, respectively, in general and administrative expenses from NSC, consisting of organizational, legal, accounting, engineering, consulting and other costs relating to its project development activities. The assets and liabilities of NSC included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet amounted to approximately $1,452,000 and $116,000, respectively, as of December 31, 2012 and approximately $121,000 and $367,000, respectively, as of December 31, 2011.

In February 2012, the Company acquired an option, exercisable through February 7, 2014, to purchase the shares of one of the other shareholders of NSC along with an immediate power of attorney to vote those shares. As a result, the Company now has effective control of NSC.

In July 2012, NSC obtained an extension of the purchase contract for a portion of the land on which the proposed plant would be constructed. In exchange for additional prepayments of (i) $500,000 paid at signing of the extension and (ii) a further $500,000 payable on May 15, 2013, NSC was granted an extension of the purchase agreement until May 15, 2014. NSC is currently negotiating a purchase agreement for an additional parcel of land.

In August 2012, NSC and DHIC extended their Memorandum of Understanding for 18 months from August 19, 2012, pursuant to which DHIC provided and installed and is operating an equipment piloting plant and collecting water quality data from the proposed feed water source site in Rosarito Beach, Baja California, Mexico. This amended Memorandum of Understanding requires that NSC negotiate exclusively with DHIC for the construction of the 100 million gallon per day seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant and further requires payment by NSC to DHIC of up to $500,000 as compensation for the operation and maintenance of the equipment piloting plant should NSC not award the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the project to DHIC.

In November 2012, NSC signed a letter of intent with Otay Water District in Southern California to deliver no less than 20 million and up to 40 million gallons of water per day from the plant to the Otay Water District at the border between Mexico and the United States.

NSC has entered into a 20 year lease, effective November 2012, for approximately 5,000 square meters of land on which it plans to construct the water intake and outtake works for the plant. The amounts due on this lease are payable in Mexican pesos at an amount that is currently equivalent to approximately $20,000 per month. This lease is cancellable should NSC ultimately not proceed with the project.

The Company has determined that completing NSC’s development activities will require significantly more funding than has been expended to date and may incur significant development expenses in the future for this project. The Company estimates that it will take at least through the second quarter of 2014 for NSC to complete all of the development activities (which include completing the site piloting plant activities, purchasing the land for the plant, securing feed water and power supplies, completing the engineering and feasibility studies, negotiating customer contracts, obtaining required regulatory permits and arranging the project financing) necessary to commence construction of the plant. However, NSC may ultimately be unable to complete all of the activities necessary to begin construction of the project.