Employee Benefit Plans

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]

Employee Benefit Plans

The components of net periodic benefit costs for San Jose Water Company’s pension plan, its Executive Supplemental Retirement Plan and other postretirement benefit plan for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 are as follows:

	THREE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,					NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
	2011			2010		2011			2010
Service cost	$	947		1,048		$	2,842		2,692
Interest cost	1,445			1,483		4,335			4,290
Other cost	738			808		2,210			2,231
Expected return on assets	(1,105		)	(597	)	(3,313		)	(2,468	)
	$	2,025		2,742		$	6,074		6,745

The following tables summarize the fair values of plan assets by major categories as of September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010:

		Fair Value Measurements at September 30, 2011
				Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets		Significant Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs
Asset Category	Benchmark	Total		(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)
Cash and cash equivalents		$	2,183	$	2,183	$	—	$	—
Actively Managed (a):
U.S. Small Cap Equity	Russell 2000	5,080		5,080		—		—
U.S. Large Cap Equity	Russell 1000 Growth	3,267		3,267		—		—
Emerging Market Equity	MSCI Emerging Markets Net	3,135		3,135		—		—
U.S. Small Mid Cap Equity	Russell 2500	1,497		1,497		—		—
Non-U.S. Large Cap Equity	MSCI EAFE Net	3,685		3,685		—		—
Passive Index Fund ETFs (b):
U.S. Large Cap Equity	S&P 500/Russell 1000 Growth	4,889		4,889		—		—
U.S. Small Mid Cap Equity	Russell 2500	499		499		—		—
U.S. Small Cap Equity	Russell 2000	108		108		—		—
U.S. Mid Cap Equity	Russell Mid Cap	55		55		—		—
Non-U.S. Large Cap Equity	MSCI EAFE Net	3,914		3,914		—		—
REIT	Nareit - Equity REITS	2,671		—		2,671		—
Fixed Income (c)	(c)	27,227		—		27,227		—
Total		$	58,210	$	28,312	$	29,898	$	—

The Plan has a current target allocation of 55% invested in a diversified array of equity securities to provide long-term capital appreciation and 45% invested in a diversified array of fixed income securities to provide preservation of capital plus generation of income.

(a) Actively managed portfolio of securities with the goal to exceed the stated benchmark performance.

(b) Open-ended fund of securities with the goal to track the stated benchmark performance.

(c) Actively managed portfolio of fixed income securities with the goal to exceed the Barclays Capital Aggregate Bond, Barclays Capital 1-3 Year Government/Credit, Citigroup World Government Bond Index, and Merrill Lynch High Yield Master II performance.

		Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2010
				Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets		Significant Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs
Asset Category	Benchmark	Total		(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)
Cash and cash equivalents		$	12,823	$	12,823	$	—	$	—
Actively Managed (a):
U.S. Small Cap Equity	Russell 2000	5,961		5,961		—		—
U.S. Large Cap Equity	Russell 1000 Growth	3,822		3,822		—		—
Emerging Market Equity	MSCI Emerging Markets Net	62		62		—		—
U.S. Small Mid Cap Equity	Russell 2500	1,850		1,850		—		—
Non-U.S. Large Cap Equity	MSCI EAFE Net	101		101		—		—
Passive Index Fund ETFs (b):
U.S. Large Cap Equity	S&P 500/Russell 1000 Growth	5,597		5,597		—		—
U.S. Small Mid Cap Equity	Russell 2500	625		625		—		—
U.S. Small Cap Equity	Russell 2000	128		128		—		—
U.S. Mid Cap Equity	Russell Mid Cap	63		63		—		—
Non-U.S. Large Cap Equity	MSCI EAFE Net	4,617		4,617		—		—
REIT	Nareit - Equity REITS	2,987		—		2,987		—
Fixed Income (c)	(c)	22,118		—		22,118		—
Total		$	60,754	$	35,649	$	25,105	$	—

The Plan has a current target allocation of 55% invested in a diversified array of equity securities to provide long-term capital appreciation and 45% invested in a diversified array of fixed income securities to provide preservation of capital plus generation of income.

(a) Actively managed portfolio of securities with the goal to exceed the stated benchmark performance.

(b) Open-ended fund of securities with the goal to track the stated benchmark performance.

(c) Actively managed portfolio of fixed income securities with the goal to exceed the Barclays Capital Aggregate Bond, Barclays Capital 1-3 Year Government/Credit, and Merrill Lynch High Yield Master II performance.

In 2011, SJW Corp. expects to make minimum contributions of $6,800 and $569 to the pension plan and other postretirement benefit plan, respectively, in order to be in compliance with the 80% funding rules under Internal Revenue Service regulations under the Pension Protection Act. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, $1,223 and $3,328, respectively, has been contributed to the pension plan and other postretirement benefit plan.