Commitments	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Commitments Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments Disclosure	Commitments San Jose Water Company purchases water from SCVWD under terms of a master contract expiring in 2051. Delivery schedules for purchased water are based on a contract year beginning July 1, and are negotiated every three years under terms of the master contract with SCVWD. For the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, San Jose Water Company purchased from SCVWD 22,800 million gallons ($48,800), 21,900 million gallons ($43,500) and 21,200 million gallons ($40,300), respectively, of contract water. Based on current prices and estimated deliveries, San Jose Water Company is committed to purchase from SCVWD a minimum of 90% of the delivery schedule, or 20,800 million gallons ($46,000) of water at the current contract water rate of $2.2 per million gallons in the year ending December 31, 2013. Additionally, San Jose Water Company purchases non-contract water from SCVWD on an “as needed” basis if the water supply is available. In 1997, San Jose Water Company entered into a 25-year contract agreement with the City of Cupertino to operate the City’s municipal water system. San Jose Water Company paid a one-time, up-front concession fee of $6,800 to the City of Cupertino which is amortized over the contract term. Under the terms of the contract agreement, San Jose Water Company assumed responsibility for all maintenance, operating and capital costs, while receiving all payments for water service. Water service rates are subject to approval by the Cupertino City Council. CLWSC has long-term contracts with the GBRA. The terms of the agreements expire in 2040, 2044 and 2050. The agreements, which are take-or-pay contracts, provide CLWSC with 6,700 acre-feet per year of water supply from Canyon Lake and other sources. The water rate may be adjusted by GBRA at any time, provided they give CLWSC a 60 day written notice on the proposed adjustment. As of December 31, 2012, San Jose Water Company had 344 employees, of whom 107 were executive, administrative or supervisory personnel, and of whom 237 were members of unions. On November 23, 2010, San Jose Water Company reached a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Utility Workers of America, representing the majority of all employees, and the International Union of Operating Engineers, representing certain employees in the engineering department, covering the period from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2013. The agreements include a 2% wage increase in 2011, 2% in 2012 and 3% in 2013 for union workers as well as increases in medical co-pays and dental deductibles.

Commitments

San Jose Water Company purchases water from SCVWD under terms of a master contract expiring in 2051. Delivery schedules for purchased water are based on a contract year beginning July 1, and are negotiated every three years under terms of the master contract with SCVWD. For the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, San Jose Water Company purchased from SCVWD 22,800 million gallons ($48,800), 21,900 million gallons ($43,500) and 21,200 million gallons ($40,300), respectively, of contract water. Based on current prices and estimated deliveries, San Jose Water Company is committed to purchase from SCVWD a minimum of 90% of the delivery schedule, or 20,800 million gallons ($46,000) of water at the current contract water rate of $2.2 per million gallons in the year ending December 31, 2013. Additionally, San Jose Water Company purchases non-contract water from SCVWD on an “as needed” basis if the water supply is available.

In 1997, San Jose Water Company entered into a 25-year contract agreement with the City of Cupertino to operate the City’s municipal water system. San Jose Water Company paid a one-time, up-front concession fee of $6,800 to the City of Cupertino which is amortized over the contract term. Under the terms of the contract agreement, San Jose Water Company assumed responsibility for all maintenance, operating and capital costs, while receiving all payments for water service. Water service rates are subject to approval by the Cupertino City Council.

CLWSC has long-term contracts with the GBRA. The terms of the agreements expire in 2040, 2044 and 2050. The agreements, which are take-or-pay contracts, provide CLWSC with 6,700 acre-feet per year of water supply from Canyon Lake and other sources. The water rate may be adjusted by GBRA at any time, provided they give CLWSC a 60 day written notice on the proposed adjustment.

As of December 31, 2012, San Jose Water Company had 344 employees, of whom 107 were executive, administrative or supervisory personnel, and of whom 237 were members of unions. On November 23, 2010, San Jose Water Company reached a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Utility Workers of America, representing the majority of all employees, and the International Union of Operating Engineers, representing certain employees in the engineering department, covering the period from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2013. The agreements include a 2% wage increase in 2011, 2% in 2012 and 3% in 2013 for union workers as well as increases in medical co-pays and dental deductibles.