EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS [Abstract]
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS	NOTE 11 EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS 401(k) Plan Artesian Resources has a defined contribution 401(k) Salary Deduction Plan, or the 401(k) Plan, which covers substantially all employees. Under the terms of the 401(k) Plan, Artesian Resources contributed 2% of eligible salaries and wages and matched employee contributions up to 6% of gross pay at a rate of 50%. Artesian Resources may, at its option, make additional contributions of up to 3% of eligible salaries and wages. In 2017, an additional 1% of eligible salaries and wages was contributed under the 401(k) Plan. No such additional contributions were made in 2019 or 2018. The 401(k) Plan also provides additional retirement benefits to full-time employees hired prior to April 26, 1994, allowing them to save for future retiree medical costs that will be paid by employees by providing additional cash resources to those employees upon a termination of employment or retirement to meet the cost of future medical expenses. These eligible employees receive an additional contribution based upon their years of service ranging from 2% to 6% of eligible salaries and wages. The 401(k) Plan expenses, which include Company contributions and administrative fees, for the years 2019, 2018 and 2017, were approximately $1.1 million, $1.1 million, and $1.2 million, respectively. Postretirement Benefit Plan Artesian Water has a Postretirement Benefit Plan, or the Benefit Plan, which provides medical and life insurance benefits to certain retired employees. Prior to the amendment of the Benefit Plan, substantially all employees could become eligible for these benefits if they reached retirement age while still working for Artesian Water. The amendment excludes any current employees from becoming eligible for these benefits upon retirement. FASB ASC Topic 715 stipulates that Artesian Water accrue the expected cost of providing postretirement health care and life insurance benefits as employees render the services necessary to earn the benefits. Artesian Water recognizes an offsetting regulatory asset with respect to its post retirement liability. This asset is recorded based on the DEPSC order, which permits Artesian Water to continue recovery of postretirement health care and life insurance expense on a pay-as-you-go basis for the remaining eligible employees. Further, expense recovery as a percentage of rates was expected to remain generally constant over the initial years, and then decline until the obligation is liquidated. The amounts recognized in consolidated financial statements are determined based on an actuarial basis, which uses assumptions about inflation, mortality, medical trend rates and discount rates. A change in these assumptions could cause actual results to differ from those reported. Amounts charged to expense were $23,000, $38,000, and $37,000 for 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company uses December 31 as the measurement date to determine the postretirement benefit obligation. There were two remaining eligible retirees as of December 31, 2019. The estimated post retirement liability recorded at December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 was $51,000 and $74,000 respectively. The Company anticipates this liability will be satisfied in 2020. There was no other comprehensive income impact because a regulatory asset is recorded as provided by FASB ASC Topic 980.

NOTE 11

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

401(k) Plan

Artesian Resources has a defined contribution 401(k) Salary Deduction Plan, or the 401(k) Plan, which covers substantially all employees. Under the terms of the 401(k) Plan, Artesian Resources contributed 2% of eligible salaries and wages and matched employee contributions up to 6% of gross pay at a rate of 50%. Artesian Resources may, at its option, make additional contributions of up to 3% of eligible salaries and wages. In 2017, an additional 1% of eligible salaries and wages was contributed under the 401(k) Plan. No such additional contributions were made in 2019 or 2018. The 401(k) Plan also provides additional retirement benefits to full-time employees hired prior to April 26, 1994, allowing them to save for future retiree medical costs that will be paid by employees by providing additional cash resources to those employees upon a termination of employment or retirement to meet the cost of future medical expenses. These eligible employees receive an additional contribution based upon their years of service ranging from 2% to 6% of eligible salaries and wages. The 401(k) Plan expenses, which include Company contributions and administrative fees, for the years 2019, 2018 and 2017, were approximately $1.1 million, $1.1 million, and $1.2 million, respectively.

Postretirement Benefit Plan

Artesian Water has a Postretirement Benefit Plan, or the Benefit Plan, which provides medical and life insurance benefits to certain retired employees. Prior to the amendment of the Benefit Plan, substantially all employees could become eligible for these benefits if they reached retirement age while still working for Artesian Water. The amendment excludes any current employees from becoming eligible for these benefits upon retirement.

FASB ASC Topic 715 stipulates that Artesian Water accrue the expected cost of providing postretirement health care and life insurance benefits as employees render the services necessary to earn the benefits. Artesian Water recognizes an offsetting regulatory asset with respect to its post retirement liability. This asset is recorded based on the DEPSC order, which permits Artesian Water to continue recovery of postretirement health care and life insurance expense on a pay-as-you-go basis for the remaining eligible employees. Further, expense recovery as a percentage of rates was expected to remain generally constant over the initial years, and then decline until the obligation is liquidated. The amounts recognized in consolidated financial statements are determined based on an actuarial basis, which uses assumptions about inflation, mortality, medical trend rates and discount rates. A change in these assumptions could cause actual results to differ from those reported. Amounts charged to expense were $23,000, $38,000, and $37,000 for 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

The Company uses December 31 as the measurement date to determine the postretirement benefit obligation. There were two remaining eligible retirees as of December 31, 2019. The estimated post retirement liability recorded at December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 was $51,000 and $74,000 respectively. The Company anticipates this liability will be satisfied in 2020. There was no other comprehensive income impact because a regulatory asset is recorded as provided by FASB ASC Topic 980.