Balancing and Memorandum Account Recovery Procedures	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Balancing and Memorandum Account Recovery Procedures [Abstract]
Public Utilities Disclosure [Text Block]	Balancing and Memorandum Account Recovery Procedures As of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the total balance in San Jose Water Company’s balancing accounts, including interest, was a net under-collection of $2,985 and $2,596, respectively. As of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the total balance in San Jose Water Company’s memorandum-type accounts, including interest, was a net under-collection of $5,640 and $5,217, respectively. As of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, an under-collection of $5,740 was included in these amounts relating to the Company’s Mandatory Conservation Revenue Adjustment Memorandum Account (“MCRAM”). The status of San Jose Water Company's proposed recovery of this MCRAM is discussed below. All balancing accounts and memorandum-type accounts will generally be reviewed by the CPUC in San Jose Water Company’s next general rate case or at the time an individual account reaches a threshold of 2% of authorized revenue, whichever occurs first. On June 2, 2010, San Jose Water Company filed an advice letter with the CPUC requesting authorization to increase revenues by $5,740, or approximately 2.61% of authorized revenue at the time of the filing. This increase is intended to recover the accumulated balance in the MCRAM, which was in effect from August 3, 2009 to May 1, 2010. The CPUC authorized San Jose Water Company to establish a MCRAM to track the revenue impact of mandatory conservation upon San Jose Water Company’s quantity revenue resulting from mandatory conservation instituted by Santa Clara Valley Water District (“SCVWD”). As directed by the CPUC’s Division of Water and Audits, the MCRAM would be recovered via a surcharge on the existing quantity rate for a period of 12 months following final approval by the CPUC. All revenue would be recognized immediately by the Company after final approval by the CPUC. On November 29, 2010, the CPUC’s Division of Water and Audits rejected the requested revenue increase without prejudice, claiming that the request should be submitted on a Petition for Modification of an earlier decision. On December 7, 2010, San Jose Water Company filed a Request for Review of the Rejection. On April 29, 2011, the CPUC’s Division of Water and Audits issued draft Resolution W-4875 that would have had the CPUC affirm the rejection of the requested revenue increase. On June 15, 2011, San Jose Water Company submitted comments to the CPUC addressing the factual and legal issues of the draft Resolution. A resolution of this matter is expected in the third quarter of 2011. On June 23, 2011, the CPUC approved Resolution L-411A. The resolution ordered many (but not all) regulated utilities, including San Jose Water Company, to establish memorandum accounts to reflect the impacts of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, and offsetting reinvestment, if any, in utility plant. The Act provides for between 50% and 100% bonus depreciation on qualifying assets placed in service between 2010 and 2012. The bonus depreciation taken generates current tax savings and deferred tax liabilities associated with such assets and, as a result, reduces utility rate base below that originally contemplated for rate setting purposes. Under L-411A, the memorandum account will track the impact of this rate base reduction as well as the impact of newly constructed qualifying assets on the Company's authorized revenue.

Balancing and Memorandum Account Recovery Procedures

As of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the total balance in San Jose Water Company’s balancing accounts, including interest, was a net under-collection of $2,985 and $2,596, respectively. As of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the total balance in San Jose Water Company’s memorandum-type accounts, including interest, was a net under-collection of $5,640 and $5,217, respectively. As of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, an under-collection of $5,740 was included in these amounts relating to the Company’s Mandatory Conservation Revenue Adjustment Memorandum Account (“MCRAM”). The status of San Jose Water Company's proposed recovery of this MCRAM is discussed below. All balancing accounts and memorandum-type accounts will generally be reviewed by the CPUC in San Jose Water Company’s next general rate case or at the time an individual account reaches a threshold of 2% of authorized revenue, whichever occurs first.

On June 2, 2010, San Jose Water Company filed an advice letter with the CPUC requesting authorization to increase revenues by $5,740, or approximately 2.61% of authorized revenue at the time of the filing. This increase is intended to recover the accumulated balance in the MCRAM, which was in effect from August 3, 2009 to May 1, 2010. The CPUC authorized San Jose Water Company to establish a MCRAM to track the revenue impact of mandatory conservation upon San Jose Water Company’s quantity revenue resulting from mandatory conservation instituted by Santa Clara Valley Water District (“SCVWD”). As directed by the CPUC’s Division of Water and Audits, the MCRAM would be recovered via a surcharge on the existing quantity rate for a period of 12 months following final approval by the CPUC. All revenue would be recognized immediately by the Company after final approval by the CPUC. On November 29, 2010, the CPUC’s Division of Water and Audits rejected the requested revenue increase without prejudice, claiming that the request should be submitted on a Petition for Modification of an earlier decision. On December 7, 2010, San Jose Water Company filed a Request for Review of the Rejection. On April 29, 2011, the CPUC’s Division of Water and Audits issued draft Resolution W-4875 that would have had the CPUC affirm the rejection of the requested revenue increase. On June 15, 2011, San Jose Water Company submitted comments to the CPUC addressing the factual and legal issues of the draft Resolution. A resolution of this matter is expected in the third quarter of 2011.

On June 23, 2011, the CPUC approved Resolution L-411A. The resolution ordered many (but not all) regulated utilities, including San Jose Water Company, to establish memorandum accounts to reflect the impacts of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, and offsetting reinvestment, if any, in utility plant. The Act provides for between 50% and 100% bonus depreciation on qualifying assets placed in service between 2010 and 2012. The bonus depreciation taken generates current tax savings and deferred tax liabilities associated with such assets and, as a result, reduces utility rate base below that originally contemplated for rate setting purposes. Under L-411A, the memorandum account will track the impact of this rate base reduction as well as the impact of newly constructed qualifying assets on the Company's authorized revenue.