Other affiliates	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Investments In and Advances To Affiliates, Schedule Of Investments [Abstract]
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Schedule of Investments [Text Block]	8. Other affiliates CW-Bermuda In June 2006, the Company formed a Bermuda-based affiliate, Consolidated Water (Bermuda) Limited (“CW-Bermuda”) with two other shareholders. The Company owns 40% of the equity interest and voting rights of CW-Bermuda. In January 2007, CW-Bermuda entered into a design, build, sale and operating agreement with the Government of Bermuda for a desalination plant to be built in two phases at Tynes Bay along the northern coast of Bermuda. Under the agreement, CW-Bermuda constructed the plant and managed its operations from the second quarter of 2009 through the termination of the agreement on June 30, 2011. Because (i) the equity investment in CW-Bermuda was not sufficient to permit it to finance its activities without funding from the Company; (ii) the other investors in CW-Bermuda had no obligation to absorb any significant amount of its losses should losses arise; and (iii) the Company expected and received economic benefits from CW-Bermuda significantly greater than those entitled by the Company’s voting rights of 40%, CW-Bermuda constitutes a variable interest entity (“VIE”). The Company is the primary financial beneficiary of CW-Bermuda and accordingly, consolidates the results of CW-Bermuda in its financial statements. The assets and liabilities of CW-Bermuda included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet amounted to approximately $137,000 and $0, respectively, as of June 30, 2012. The Company has not provided any guarantees related to CW-Bermuda, nor do any of its creditors have recourse to the general credit of the Company as a result of including CW-Bermuda in the consolidated financial statements. The results of CW-Bermuda are reflected in the Company’s services segment. The Company did not earn any revenues or gross profits from its Bermuda affiliate for the six months ended June 30, 2012, while earning revenues and gross profit of approximately $650,551 and $436,507, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2011. As a result of the termination of the agreement with the Bermuda government, the Company does not expect to receive any future fees or revenues from CW-Bermuda. NSC In May 2010, the Company acquired, through its wholly-owned Netherlands subsidiary, Consolidated Water Cooperatief, U.A., a 50% interest in N.S.C. Agua, S.A. de C.V., (“NSC”) a Mexican company. NSC has been formed to pursue a project encompassing the construction, ownership and operation of a 100 million gallon per day seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant to be located in northern Baja California, Mexico and an accompanying pipeline to deliver water to a Mexican potable water system and the U.S. border. The Company believes such a project can be successful due to what it anticipates will be a growing need for a new potable water supply for the areas of northern Baja California, Mexico and Southern California, United States. To complete this project, the Company has engaged an engineering group with extensive regional experience and has signed a memorandum of understanding with Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, a global leader in the engineering, procurement and construction of large seawater desalination plants. Once completed, a subsidiary of the Company would operate the plant and retain a minority position in its ownership. NSC is in the development stage, and is presently involved in (i) extending contracts for the purchase of land on which to build the plant, (ii) seeking contracts for the electric power and feed water sources for the plant’s proposed operations, and (iii) implementing a water quality monitoring and equipment testing program at the proposed feed water source. In addition to completing these activities, NSC will be required to complete various other steps before it can commence construction of the plant and pipeline including, but not limited to, obtaining approvals and permits from various governmental agencies in Mexico and the United States, securing contracts with its proposed customers to sell water in sufficient quantities and at prices that make the project financially viable, and obtaining equity and debt financing for the project. NSC’s potential customers will also be required to obtain various governmental permits and approvals in order to purchase water from NSC. For its 50% interest in NSC, the Company provided the initial funding of $4 million in the form of equity for NSC’s development activities. Because the Company exercises effective financial control over NSC and its partners in NSC did not participate in funding the first $4 million in losses that NSC incurred, the Company consolidates NSC’s results of operations. Included in the condensed consolidated results of operations for the three months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 are approximately $399,000 and $700,000, respectively, and for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 are approximately $740,000 and $1.8 million, respectively, in general and administrative expenses from NSC. Such expenses consist of legal, accounting, engineering, consulting and other costs relating to NSC’s project development activities. The assets and liabilities relating to NSC included in the condensed consolidated balance sheet amounted to approximately $417,000 and $108,000, respectively, as of June 30, 2012 and approximately $121,000 and $367,000, respectively, as of December 31, 2011. In February 2012, the Company acquired an option, exercisable through February 7, 2014, to purchase the shares of one of the other shareholders of NSC along with an immediate power of attorney to vote those shares. As a result, the Company now has effective control over NSC and is continuing its project development activities. On July 19, 2012, NSC and the landowner extended the purchase contract for a portion of the land on which the proposed plant would be constructed. In exchange for additional prepayments of (i) $500,000 paid at signing of the extension and (ii) a further $500,000 payable on May 15, 2013, NSC was granted an extension of the purchase agreement until May 15, 2014. NSC is currently evaluating whether to enter into a similar extension agreement with a separate landowner for an additional parcel of land. The Company has determined that completing NSC’s development activities will require significantly more funding than has been expended to date and may incur significant development expenses in the future for this project. The Company estimates that it will take at least through the fourth quarter of 2013 for NSC to complete all of the development activities (which include initiating site piloting plant activities, extending all purchase agreements for the land for the plant, securing feed water and power supplies, completing the engineering and feasibility studies, negotiating customer contracts, obtaining required regulatory permits and arranging the project financing) necessary to commence construction of the plant. However, NSC may ultimately be unable to complete all of the activities necessary to begin construction of the project. NPDC Water Company Ltd. The Company, through its subsidiary CW-Bahamas, formed a joint venture in May 2012 with The New Providence Development Company Limited ("NPDC") in Nassau, Bahamas. This joint venture, the NPDC Water Company Ltd. (“NPDC Water”), will own and operate a retail water utility that will provide potable water to some of the most prestigious residential and business areas in The Bahamas, including Lyford Cay and Old Fort Bay. NPDC Water will operate pursuant to a 25-year exclusive water utility franchise granted by the Bahamas government for the western end of New Providence Island. CW-Bahamas has agreed to purchase 50% of the ownership in the joint venture for $7 million. NPDC is transferring its existing retail water utility business to NPDC Water for its 50% ownership. This existing business currently collects groundwater from approximately 1,700 acres of land, treats that groundwater and distributes potable water to approximately 1,000 customers. NPDC Water has a license to continue collecting this water for the term of the 25-year franchise. The Company will be contracted to provide management and engineering services for NPDC Water, including the construction of a new water treatment plant that incorporates ultra-filtration, brackish water reverse osmosis and seawater reverse osmosis technologies. Construction of the plant is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2013. The Company will also operate and maintain NPDC Water’s recently constructed sewerage treatment plant. The closing for the funding of the joint venture is expected to occur during the three months ended September 30, 2012, once certain closing conditions relating to the transfer of existing assets from NPDC to NPDC Water have been satisfied, after which NPDC Water will commence construction of the new plant improvements.

Other affiliates

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

Investments In and Advances To Affiliates, Schedule Of Investments [Abstract]

Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Schedule of Investments [Text Block]

8. Other affiliates

CW-Bermuda

In June 2006, the Company formed a Bermuda-based affiliate, Consolidated Water (Bermuda) Limited (“CW-Bermuda”) with two other shareholders. The Company owns 40% of the equity interest and voting rights of CW-Bermuda. In January 2007, CW-Bermuda entered into a design, build, sale and operating agreement with the Government of Bermuda for a desalination plant to be built in two phases at Tynes Bay along the northern coast of Bermuda. Under the agreement, CW-Bermuda constructed the plant and managed its operations from the second quarter of 2009 through the termination of the agreement on June 30, 2011.

Because (i) the equity investment in CW-Bermuda was not sufficient to permit it to finance its activities without funding from the Company; (ii) the other investors in CW-Bermuda had no obligation to absorb any significant amount of its losses should losses arise; and (iii) the Company expected and received economic benefits from CW-Bermuda significantly greater than those entitled by the Company’s voting rights of 40%, CW-Bermuda constitutes a variable interest entity (“VIE”). The Company is the primary financial beneficiary of CW-Bermuda and accordingly, consolidates the results of CW-Bermuda in its financial statements. The assets and liabilities of CW-Bermuda included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet amounted to approximately $137,000 and $0, respectively, as of June 30, 2012. The Company has not provided any guarantees related to CW-Bermuda, nor do any of its creditors have recourse to the general credit of the Company as a result of including CW-Bermuda in the consolidated financial statements. The results of CW-Bermuda are reflected in the Company’s services segment. The Company did not earn any revenues or gross profits from its Bermuda affiliate for the six months ended June 30, 2012, while earning revenues and gross profit of approximately $650,551 and $436,507, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2011. As a result of the termination of the agreement with the Bermuda government, the Company does not expect to receive any future fees or revenues from CW-Bermuda.

NSC

In May 2010, the Company acquired, through its wholly-owned Netherlands subsidiary, Consolidated Water Cooperatief, U.A., a 50% interest in N.S.C. Agua, S.A. de C.V., (“NSC”) a Mexican company. NSC has been formed to pursue a project encompassing the construction, ownership and operation of a 100 million gallon per day seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant to be located in northern Baja California, Mexico and an accompanying pipeline to deliver water to a Mexican potable water system and the U.S. border. The Company believes such a project can be successful due to what it anticipates will be a growing need for a new potable water supply for the areas of northern Baja California, Mexico and Southern California, United States. To complete this project, the Company has engaged an engineering group with extensive regional experience and has signed a memorandum of understanding with Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, a global leader in the engineering, procurement and construction of large seawater desalination plants. Once completed, a subsidiary of the Company would operate the plant and retain a minority position in its ownership. NSC is in the development stage, and is presently involved in (i) extending contracts for the purchase of land on which to build the plant, (ii) seeking contracts for the electric power and feed water sources for the plant’s proposed operations, and (iii) implementing a water quality monitoring and equipment testing program at the proposed feed water source. In addition to completing these activities, NSC will be required to complete various other steps before it can commence construction of the plant and pipeline including, but not limited to, obtaining approvals and permits from various governmental agencies in Mexico and the United States, securing contracts with its proposed customers to sell water in sufficient quantities and at prices that make the project financially viable, and obtaining equity and debt financing for the project. NSC’s potential customers will also be required to obtain various governmental permits and approvals in order to purchase water from NSC.

For its 50% interest in NSC, the Company provided the initial funding of $4 million in the form of equity for NSC’s development activities. Because the Company exercises effective financial control over NSC and its partners in NSC did not participate in funding the first $4 million in losses that NSC incurred, the Company consolidates NSC’s results of operations. Included in the condensed consolidated results of operations for the three months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 are approximately $399,000 and $700,000, respectively, and for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 are approximately $740,000 and $1.8 million, respectively, in general and administrative expenses from NSC. Such expenses consist of legal, accounting, engineering, consulting and other costs relating to NSC’s project development activities. The assets and liabilities relating to NSC included in the condensed consolidated balance sheet amounted to approximately $417,000 and $108,000, respectively, as of June 30, 2012 and approximately $121,000 and $367,000, respectively, as of December 31, 2011.

In February 2012, the Company acquired an option, exercisable through February 7, 2014, to purchase the shares of one of the other shareholders of NSC along with an immediate power of attorney to vote those shares. As a result, the Company now has effective control over NSC and is continuing its project development activities.

On July 19, 2012, NSC and the landowner extended the purchase contract for a portion of the land on which the proposed plant would be constructed. In exchange for additional prepayments of (i) $500,000 paid at signing of the extension and (ii) a further $500,000 payable on May 15, 2013, NSC was granted an extension of the purchase agreement until May 15, 2014. NSC is currently evaluating whether to enter into a similar extension agreement with a separate landowner for an additional parcel of land.

The Company has determined that completing NSC’s development activities will require significantly more funding than has been expended to date and may incur significant development expenses in the future for this project. The Company estimates that it will take at least through the fourth quarter of 2013 for NSC to complete all of the development activities (which include initiating site piloting plant activities, extending all purchase agreements for the land for the plant, securing feed water and power supplies, completing the engineering and feasibility studies, negotiating customer contracts, obtaining required regulatory permits and arranging the project financing) necessary to commence construction of the plant. However, NSC may ultimately be unable to complete all of the activities necessary to begin construction of the project.

NPDC Water Company Ltd.

The Company, through its subsidiary CW-Bahamas, formed a joint venture in May 2012 with The New Providence Development Company Limited ("NPDC") in Nassau, Bahamas. This joint venture, the NPDC Water Company Ltd. (“NPDC Water”), will own and operate a retail water utility that will provide potable water to some of the most prestigious residential and business areas in The Bahamas, including Lyford Cay and Old Fort Bay. NPDC Water will operate pursuant to a 25-year exclusive water utility franchise granted by the Bahamas government for the western end of New Providence Island.

CW-Bahamas has agreed to purchase 50% of the ownership in the joint venture for $7 million. NPDC is transferring its existing retail water utility business to NPDC Water for its 50% ownership. This existing business currently collects groundwater from approximately 1,700 acres of land, treats that groundwater and distributes potable water to approximately 1,000 customers. NPDC Water has a license to continue collecting this water for the term of the 25-year franchise. The Company will be contracted to provide management and engineering services for NPDC Water, including the construction of a new water treatment plant that incorporates ultra-filtration, brackish water reverse osmosis and seawater reverse osmosis technologies. Construction of the plant is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2013. The Company will also operate and maintain NPDC Water’s recently constructed sewerage treatment plant.

The closing for the funding of the joint venture is expected to occur during the three months ended September 30, 2012, once certain closing conditions relating to the transfer of existing assets from NPDC to NPDC Water have been satisfied, after which NPDC Water will commence construction of the new plant improvements.