Long-Term Liabilities	6 Months Ended
Long-Term Liabilities	Jun. 30, 2011
Long Term Liabilities [Abstract]
Debt Disclosure [Text Block]	Long-Term Liabilities SJW Corp.’s contractual obligations and commitments include senior notes, mortgages and other obligations. San Jose Water Company, a subsidiary of SJW Corp., has received advance deposit payments from its customers on certain construction projects. Refunds of the advance deposit payments constitute an obligation of San Jose Water Company solely. On March 10, 2011, 444 West Santa Clara Street, L.P. refinanced its mortgage loan. The new loan of $3,300 required a cash call from the partnership of approximately $500, of which SJW Land Company contributed 70% or approximately $350. The new mortgage loan is due in March 2021 and will be amortized over 20 years with a fixed interest rate of 5.68%. On June 30, 2011, SJW Corp. entered into a Note Agreement (the "Note Agreement") with the Prudential Insurance Company of America (the "Purchaser"), pursuant to which the company sold on the same date an aggregate principal amount of $50,000 of its 4.35% Senior Notes (the "Notes") to the Purchaser. The Notes are unsecured obligations of the Company, due on June 30, 2021. Interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on December 30th and June 30th of each year. The Note Agreement contains customary representations and warranties. SJW Corp. has agreed to customary affirmative and negative covenants for as long as the Notes are outstanding, including, subject to certain exceptions and qualifications, (i) a minimum net worth; and (ii) a debt to capitalization ratio. The Notes are subject to customary events of default, the occurrence of which may result in all of the Notes then outstanding becoming immediately due and payable. On July 1, 2011, SJW Corp., SJW Land Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association entered into an amendment to their credit agreement dated May 27, 2010, as amended on December 16, 2010, to decrease the maximum principal amount available under the line of credit from $45,000 to $10,000 and to modify the covenants regarding SJW Corp.'s funded debt to capitalization ratio and earnings before interest and taxes coverage ratio. On July 1, 2011, San Jose Water Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association entered into an amendment to their credit agreement dated May 27, 2010, as amended December 16, 2010, to increase the maximum principal amount available under the line of credit from $50,000 to $75,000 and to modify the earnings before interest and taxes coverage ratio covenant.

The entire disclosure for information about short-term and long-term debt arrangements, which includes amounts of borrowings under each line of credit, note payable, commercial paper issue, bonds indenture, debenture issue, own-share lending arrangements and any other contractual agreement to repay funds, and about the underlying arrangements, rationale for a classification as long-term, including repayment terms, interest rates, collateral provided, restrictions on use of assets and activities, whether or not in compliance with debt covenants, and other matters important to users of the financial statements, such as the effects of refinancing and noncompliance with debt covenants.

+ References+ Details