Segment information (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 65,559,078us-gaap_Revenues	$ 63,822,131us-gaap_Revenues	$ 65,450,702us-gaap_Revenues
Cost of revenues	42,443,580us-gaap_CostOfRevenue	40,316,252us-gaap_CostOfRevenue	43,458,260us-gaap_CostOfRevenue
Gross profit (loss)	23,115,498us-gaap_GrossProfit	23,505,879us-gaap_GrossProfit	21,992,442us-gaap_GrossProfit
General and administrative expenses	16,654,439us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense	15,844,303us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense	14,542,817us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense
Impairment losses	0us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges	0us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges	521,444us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges
Income (loss) from operations	6,461,059us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	7,661,576us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	6,928,181us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Other income, net	303,481us-gaap_NonoperatingIncomeExpense	1,486,913us-gaap_NonoperatingIncomeExpense	2,695,828us-gaap_NonoperatingIncomeExpense
Net Income	6,764,540us-gaap_ProfitLoss	9,148,489us-gaap_ProfitLoss	9,624,009us-gaap_ProfitLoss
Income attributable to non-controlling interests	499,182	553,970	308,495
Net income attributable to Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. stockholders	6,265,358us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	8,594,519us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	9,315,514us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Property plant and equipment, net	56,396,988us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet	58,602,886us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
Construction in progress	1,900,016us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressGross	1,450,417us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressGross
Goodwill	3,499,037us-gaap_Goodwill	3,499,037us-gaap_Goodwill
Investment in land	20,558,424us-gaap_LongTermInvestments	13,175,566us-gaap_LongTermInvestments
Total assets	160,459,831us-gaap_Assets	165,364,854us-gaap_Assets
Retail [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	24,104,932	23,018,498	24,222,895
Cost of revenues	12,010,263	11,023,096	11,548,255
Gross profit (loss)	12,094,669	11,995,402	12,674,640
General and administrative expenses	11,183,731	10,812,877	11,304,528
Impairment losses			0
Income (loss) from operations	910,938	1,182,525	1,370,112
Property plant and equipment, net	26,581,682	26,339,461
Construction in progress	902,656	1,181,628
Goodwill	1,170,511	1,170,511
Investment in land	0	0
Total assets	51,373,629	65,853,375
Bulk [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	39,201,011	39,960,220	40,758,182
Cost of revenues	27,853,057	28,212,896	31,679,887
Gross profit (loss)	11,347,954	11,747,324	9,078,295
General and administrative expenses	1,605,499	1,643,869	1,384,527
Impairment losses			432,727
Income (loss) from operations	9,742,455	10,103,455	7,261,041
Property plant and equipment, net	29,184,337	31,736,774
Construction in progress	997,360	98,807
Goodwill	2,328,526	2,328,526
Investment in land	0	0
Total assets	84,478,285	84,300,971
Services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	2,253,135	843,413	469,625
Cost of revenues	2,580,260	1,080,260	230,118
Gross profit (loss)	(327,125)	(236,847)	239,507
General and administrative expenses	3,865,209	3,387,557	1,853,762
Impairment losses			88,717
Income (loss) from operations	(4,192,334)	(3,624,404)	(1,702,972)
Property plant and equipment, net	630,969	526,651
Construction in progress	0	169,982
Goodwill	0	0
Investment in land	20,558,424	13,175,566
Total assets	$ 24,607,917	$ 15,210,508

Amount of write-down of assets recognized in the income statement. Includes, but is not limited to, losses from tangible assets, intangible assets and goodwill.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 28

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 360

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 4

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=8077374&loc=d3e2420-110228