Long-Term Debt Debt Maturity Schedule (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 335,551,000	$ 340,990,000
Mortgages [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loan amortization period	25 years
Number of monthly principal and interest payments	120
Fiscal Year Amortization Schedule [Abstract]
Total payment, 2013	1,229,000
Total payment, 2014	1,229,000
Total payment, 2015	4,034,000
Total payment, 2016	11,470,000
Interest, 2013	877,000
Interest, 2014	856,000
Interest, 2015	762,000
Interest, 2016	110,000
Principal, 2013	352,000
Principal, 2014	373,000
Principal, 2015	3,272,000
Principal, 2016	11,360,000
Mortgages [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rates	5.61%
Mortgages [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rates	6.09%
Mortgages [Member] | 444 West Santa Clara Street, L.P. [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loan amortization period	20 years
Long-term debt	3,053,000	3,153,000
Stated interest rates	5.68%
Fiscal Year Amortization Schedule [Abstract]
Total payment, 2013	276,000
Total payment, 2014	276,000
Total payment, 2015	276,000
Total payment, 2016	276,000
Total payment, 2017	276,000
Total payment, thereafter	2,761,000
Interest, 2013	170,000
Interest, 2014	164,000
Interest, 2015	157,000
Interest, 2016	150,000
Interest, 2017	143,000
Interest, thereafter	304,000
Principal, 2013	106,000
Principal, 2014	112,000
Principal, 2015	119,000
Principal, 2016	126,000
Principal, 2017	133,000
Principal, thereafter	2,457,000
444 West Santa Clara Street, L.P. [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Limited partership interest percentage	70.00%
San Jose Water Company [Member] | Standby Letters of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Standby letters of credit	3,000,000
Fiscal Year Amortization Schedule [Abstract]
Line of Credit Facility, Renewal Term	1 year
San Jose Water Company [Member] | Bonds [Member] | California Pollution Control Financing Authority Revenue Bonds [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	50,000,000	50,000,000
Stated interest rates	5.10%
San Jose Water Company [Member] | SDWSRF loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	2,141,000	2,281,000
Fiscal Year Amortization Schedule [Abstract]
Total payment, 2013	133,000
Total payment, 2014	196,000
Total payment, 2015	195,000
Total payment, 2016	196,000
Total payment, 2017	195,000
Total payment, thereafter	1,592,000
Interest, 2013	37,000
Interest, 2014	49,000
Interest, 2015	45,000
Interest, 2016	42,000
Interest, 2017	38,000
Interest, thereafter	155,000
Principal, 2013	96,000
Principal, 2014	147,000
Principal, 2015	150,000
Principal, 2016	154,000
Principal, 2017	157,000
Principal, thereafter	$ 1,437,000
San Jose Water Company [Member] | SDWSRF loans [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rates	2.39%
San Jose Water Company [Member] | SDWSRF loans [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rates	2.60%