Segment information (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 15,889,239	$ 18,053,284	$ 51,183,023	$ 47,672,013
Cost of revenue	9,180,259	10,928,293	29,958,991	28,193,762
Gross profit	6,708,980	7,124,991	21,224,032	19,478,251
General and administrative expenses	4,825,627	4,807,079	14,198,653	13,915,759
Gain (loss) on asset dispositions and impairments, net	7,018	(12,415)	448,088	(14,405)
Income (loss) from operations	1,890,371	2,305,497	7,473,467	5,548,087
Other income, net	229,841	2,326,768	540,264	2,786,397
Income before income taxes	2,120,212	4,632,265	8,013,731	8,334,484
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes	(40,075)	12,659	73,117	(113,607)
Net income from continuing operations	2,160,287	4,619,606	7,940,614	8,448,091
Income from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interests	433,235	310,579	1,172,039	484,778
Net income from continuing operations attributable to Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. stockholders	1,727,052	4,309,027	6,768,575	7,963,313
Total income from discontinued operations	0	243,362	3,621,170	869,794
Net income attributable to Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. stockholders	1,727,052	4,552,389	10,389,745	8,833,107
Accounts receivable, net	22,955,201		22,955,201		$ 24,228,095
Property plant and equipment, net	62,106,181		62,106,181		58,880,818
Construction in progress	925,570		925,570		6,015,043
Intangibles, net	1,331,111		1,331,111		1,891,667
Goodwill	8,004,597		8,004,597		8,004,597
Land and rights of way held for development	24,161,024		24,161,024		24,161,024
Total segment assets	182,777,845		182,777,845		168,612,071
Assets of discontinued operations	0		0		3,903,527
Assets, Total	182,777,845		182,777,845		172,515,598
Retail [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	6,271,220	6,185,558	19,941,395	18,884,929
Cost of revenue	2,945,586	2,750,599	8,753,948	8,234,803
Gross profit	3,325,634	3,434,959	11,187,447	10,650,126
General and administrative expenses	3,497,320	2,967,187	10,020,019	8,926,550
Gain (loss) on asset dispositions and impairments, net	6,518	(9,084)	401,088	(11,074)
Income (loss) from operations	(165,168)	458,688	1,568,516	1,712,502
Accounts receivable, net	2,447,446		2,447,446		2,947,193
Property plant and equipment, net	29,430,224		29,430,224		24,435,501
Construction in progress	367,533		367,533		5,437,093
Intangibles, net	0		0		0
Goodwill	1,170,511		1,170,511		1,170,511
Land and rights of way held for development	0		0		0
Total segment assets	64,676,232		64,676,232		61,210,879
Bulk [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	6,449,757	7,806,552	20,502,121	22,934,036
Cost of revenue	4,269,739	5,289,151	13,992,452	15,736,936
Gross profit	2,180,018	2,517,401	6,509,669	7,197,100
General and administrative expenses	294,189	366,532	900,572	961,266
Gain (loss) on asset dispositions and impairments, net	500	0	47,000	0
Income (loss) from operations	1,886,329	2,150,869	5,656,097	6,235,834
Accounts receivable, net	16,598,862		16,598,862		18,480,589
Property plant and equipment, net	31,153,615		31,153,615		32,820,908
Construction in progress	522,814		522,814		574,659
Intangibles, net	0		0		0
Goodwill	1,948,875		1,948,875		1,948,875
Land and rights of way held for development	0		0		0
Total segment assets	69,650,381		69,650,381		67,740,088
Services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	95,980	807,424	287,349	1,054,100
Cost of revenue	31,601	682,713	198,614	921,653
Gross profit	64,379	124,711	88,735	132,447
General and administrative expenses	546,204	846,258	1,811,971	2,162,632
Gain (loss) on asset dispositions and impairments, net	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from operations	(481,825)	(721,547)	(1,723,236)	(2,030,185)
Accounts receivable, net	1,440,306		1,440,306		1,812,838
Property plant and equipment, net	11,364		11,364		14,772
Construction in progress	0		0		3,291
Intangibles, net	0		0		0
Goodwill	0		0		0
Land and rights of way held for development	24,161,024		24,161,024		24,161,024
Total segment assets	33,278,394		33,278,394		27,406,983
Manufacturing Units [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue	3,072,282	3,253,750	10,452,158	4,798,948
Cost of revenue	1,933,333	2,205,830	7,013,977	3,300,370
Gross profit	1,138,949	1,047,920	3,438,181	1,498,578
General and administrative expenses	487,914	627,102	1,466,091	1,865,311
Gain (loss) on asset dispositions and impairments, net	0	(3,331)	0	(3,331)
Income (loss) from operations	651,035	$ 417,487	1,972,090	$ (370,064)
Accounts receivable, net	2,468,587		2,468,587		987,475
Property plant and equipment, net	1,510,978		1,510,978		1,609,637
Construction in progress	35,223		35,223		0
Intangibles, net	1,331,111		1,331,111		1,891,667
Goodwill	4,885,211		4,885,211		4,885,211
Land and rights of way held for development	0		0		0
Total segment assets	$ 15,172,838		$ 15,172,838		$ 12,254,121