Defined Benefit Plan

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]

Defined Benefit Plan

San Jose Water Company sponsors a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan for its employees. Employees hired before March 31, 2008 are entitled to receive benefits using a benefit formula based on the employee’s three highest years of compensation (whether or not consecutive). For employees hired on or after March 31, 2008, benefits are determined using a cash balance formula based upon compensation credits and interest credits for each employee. 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 months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 are as follows:

	Three months ended March 31,
	2012			2011
Service cost	$	1,157		947
Interest cost	1,450			1,445
Other cost	1,166			738
Expected return on assets	(1,148		)	(1,105	)
	$	2,625		2,025

The following tables summarize the fair values of plan assets by major categories as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011:

		Fair Value Measurements at March 31, 2012
				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		$	4,203	$	4,203	$	—	$	—
Actively Managed (a):
U.S. Small Cap Equity	Russell 2000	6,981		6,981		—		—
U.S. Large Cap Equity	Russell 1000 Growth	4,342		4,342		—		—
Emerging Market Equity	MSCI Emerging Markets Net	4,075		4,075		—		—
U.S. Small Mid Cap Equity	Russell 2500	2,054		2,054		—		—
Non-U.S. Large Cap Equity	MSCI EAFE Net	5,205		5,205		—		—
Passive Index Fund ETFs (b):
U.S. Large Cap Equity	S&P 500/Russell 1000 Growth	6,195		6,195		—		—
U.S. Small Mid Cap Equity	Russell 2500	685		685		—		—
U.S. Small Cap Equity	Russell 2000	161		161		—		—
U.S. Mid Cap Equity	Russell Mid Cap	78		78		—		—
Non-U.S. Large Cap Equity	MSCI EAFE Net	4,828		4,828		—		—
REIT	Nareit - Equity REITS	3,467		—		3,467		—
Fixed Income (c)	(c)	27,747		—		27,747		—
Total		$	70,021	$	38,807	$	31,214	$	—

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, 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		$	4,301	$	4,301	$	—	$	—
Actively Managed (a):
U.S. Small Cap Equity	Russell 2000	6,303		6,303		—		—
U.S. Large Cap Equity	Russell 1000 Growth	3,716		3,716		—		—
Emerging Market Equity	MSCI Emerging Markets Net	3,547		3,547		—		—
U.S. Small Mid Cap Equity	Russell 2500	1,814		1,814		—		—
Non-U.S. Large Cap Equity	MSCI EAFE Net	4,271		4,271		—		—
Passive Index Fund ETFs (b):
U.S. Large Cap Equity	S&P 500/Russell 1000 Growth	5,525		5,525		—		—
U.S. Small Mid Cap Equity	Russell 2500	617		617		—		—
U.S. Small Cap Equity	Russell 2000	143		143		—		—
U.S. Mid Cap Equity	Russell Mid Cap	69		69		—		—
Non-U.S. Large Cap Equity	MSCI EAFE Net	4,356		4,356		—		—
REIT	Nareit - Equity REITS	3,213		—		3,213		—
Fixed Income (c)	(c)	27,209		—		27,209		—
Total		$	65,084	$	34,662	$	30,422	$	—

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.

In 2012, San Jose Water Company expects to make required and discretionary cash contributions of up to $10,500 to the pension plan and other postretirement benefit plan. For the three months ended March 31, 2012, $1,050 has been contributed to the pension plan and other postretirement benefit plan.