Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flow (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flow [Abstract]
Debt component of allowance for funds used during construction	$ 873	$ 1,030

Debt component of allowance for funds used during construction

No definition available.

Name:	wtrg_DebtComponentOfAllowanceForFundsUsedDuringConstruction
Namespace Prefix:	wtrg_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration