Segment information (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015	Feb. 11, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 14,034,772	$ 14,666,112
Cost of revenues	7,857,741	8,517,810
Gross profit	6,177,031	6,148,302
General and administrative expenses	4,460,986	3,892,966
Income (loss) from operations	1,716,045	2,255,336
Other income (expense), net	389,557	(219,557)
Income before income taxes	2,105,602	2,035,779
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes	(73,269)	0
Net income	2,178,871	2,035,779
Income attributable to non-controlling interests	124,230	114,518
Net income attributable to Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. stockholders	2,054,641	1,921,261
Accounts receivable, net	13,799,199			$ 9,529,016
Property plant and equipment, net	54,817,803			53,743,170
Construction in progress	2,769,970			1,928,610
Intangibles, net	6,452,727			771,811
Goodwill	11,534,248		$ 8,035,211	3,499,037
Land held for development	20,558,424			20,558,424
Total assets	171,323,219			161,575,026
Retail [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	5,970,238	6,135,638
Cost of revenues	2,629,674	2,766,863
Gross profit	3,340,564	3,368,775
General and administrative expenses	2,897,861	2,898,415
Income (loss) from operations	442,703	470,360
Accounts receivable, net	2,684,520			2,261,141
Property plant and equipment, net	24,914,329			25,204,226
Construction in progress	2,668,571			1,860,050
Intangibles, net	0			0
Goodwill	1,170,511			1,170,511
Land held for development	0			0
Total assets	54,291,232			54,561,577
Bulk [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	7,265,293	8,382,316
Cost of revenues	4,610,324	5,466,060
Gross profit	2,654,969	2,916,256
General and administrative expenses	435,896	417,364
Income (loss) from operations	2,219,073	2,498,892
Accounts receivable, net	9,567,044			6,231,626
Property plant and equipment, net	27,661,157			28,421,906
Construction in progress	101,399			68,560
Intangibles, net	649,604			666,152
Goodwill	2,328,526			2,328,526
Land held for development	0			0
Total assets	75,334,227			83,284,439
Services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	799,241	148,158
Cost of revenues	617,743	284,887
Gross profit	181,498	(136,729)
General and administrative expenses	1,127,229	577,187
Income (loss) from operations	(945,731)	$ (713,916)
Accounts receivable, net	1,547,635			1,036,249
Property plant and equipment, net	2,242,317			117,038
Construction in progress	0			0
Intangibles, net	5,803,123			105,659
Goodwill	8,035,211			0
Land held for development	20,558,424			20,558,424
Total assets	$ 41,697,760			$ 23,729,010