Segment information (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 57,875,707	$ 57,116,202	$ 65,559,078
Cost of revenues	33,624,821	33,807,982	42,086,978
Gross profit (loss)	24,250,886	23,308,220	23,472,100
General and administrative expenses	18,677,584	14,840,156	17,011,041
Impairment loss on long-lived assets	2,000,000	0	0
Impairment of goodwill	1,750,000	0	0
Income (loss) from operations	1,823,302	8,468,064	6,461,059
Other income (expense), net	417,954	(542,570)	303,481
Income before income taxes	2,241,256	7,925,494	6,764,540
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes	(536,057)	0	0
Net income	2,777,313	7,925,494	6,764,540
Income attributable to non-controlling interests	(1,183,188)	406,793	499,182
Net income attributable to Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. stockholders	3,960,501	7,518,701	6,265,358
Accounts receivable, net	16,500,798	9,529,016
Property plant and equipment, net	53,084,105	53,743,170
Construction in progress	885,494	1,928,610
Intangibles, net	5,195,476	771,811
Goodwill	9,784,248	3,499,037
Land held for development	20,558,424	20,558,424
Total assets	163,604,528	161,575,026
Retail [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	23,505,619	23,254,757	24,104,932
Cost of revenues	10,294,298	10,543,972	11,521,277
Gross profit (loss)	13,211,321	12,710,785	12,583,655
General and administrative expenses	11,460,165	11,095,349	11,540,333
Impairment loss on long-lived assets	2,000,000
Impairment of goodwill	0
Income (loss) from operations	(248,844)	1,615,436	1,043,322
Accounts receivable, net	2,646,628	2,261,141
Property plant and equipment, net	24,890,031	25,204,226
Construction in progress	134,392	1,860,050
Intangibles, net	0	0
Goodwill	1,170,511	1,170,511
Land held for development	0	0
Total assets	54,303,011	54,561,577
Bulk [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	29,647,034	31,854,255	39,201,011
Cost of revenues	19,488,550	21,634,789	27,985,441
Gross profit (loss)	10,158,484	10,219,466	11,215,570
General and administrative expenses	1,744,840	1,605,943	1,605,499
Impairment loss on long-lived assets	0
Impairment of goodwill	0
Income (loss) from operations	8,413,644	8,613,523	9,610,071
Accounts receivable, net	12,692,714	6,231,626
Property plant and equipment, net	26,124,724	28,421,906
Construction in progress	743,296	68,560
Intangibles, net	599,960	666,152
Goodwill	2,328,526	2,328,526
Land held for development	0	0
Total assets	68,663,628	83,284,439
Services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	4,723,054	2,007,190	2,253,135
Cost of revenues	3,841,973	1,629,221	2,580,260
Gross profit (loss)	881,081	377,969	(327,125)
General and administrative expenses	5,472,579	2,138,864	3,865,209
Impairment loss on long-lived assets	0
Impairment of goodwill	1,750,000
Income (loss) from operations	(6,341,498)	(1,760,895)	$ (4,192,334)
Accounts receivable, net	1,161,456	1,036,249
Property plant and equipment, net	2,069,350	117,038
Construction in progress	7,806	0
Intangibles, net	4,595,516	105,659
Goodwill	6,285,211	0
Land held for development	20,558,424	20,558,424
Total assets	$ 40,637,889	$ 23,729,010