Segment information (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 15,248,621	$ 15,379,202	$ 30,898,073	$ 29,386,996
Cost of revenues	8,762,791	8,676,485	17,541,690	16,414,547
Gross profit (loss)	6,485,830	6,702,717	13,356,383	12,972,449
General and administrative expenses	4,960,170	4,888,794	9,714,680	9,295,856
Income (loss) from operations	1,525,660	1,813,923	3,641,703	3,676,593
Other income, net	21,528	404,178	425,089	632,425
Income before income taxes	1,547,188	2,218,101	4,066,792	4,309,018
Benefit from income taxes	(136,448)	(170,393)	(276,145)	(243,662)
Net income from continuing operations before non-controlling interests	1,683,636	2,388,494	4,342,937	4,552,680
Income (Loss) from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interests	(8,354)	48,544	(56,146)	172,040
Net income from continuing operations attributable to Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. stockholders	1,691,990	2,339,950	4,399,083	4,380,640
Net loss from discontinued operations	(1,067,442)	(135,617)	(1,143,307)	(121,666)
Land held for development	20,558,424		20,558,424		$ 20,558,424
Net income attributable to Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. stockholders	624,548	2,204,333	3,255,776	4,258,974
Accounts receivable, net	14,091,119		14,091,119		16,480,639
Property plant and equipment, net	50,463,135		50,463,135		52,471,537
Construction in progress	2,804,958		2,804,958		885,494
Intangibles, net	4,468,530		4,468,530		5,195,476
Goodwill	9,784,248		9,784,248		9,784,248
Total assets	165,794,147		165,794,147		163,604,528
Assets of discontinued operations	308,832		308,832		1,253,143
Total segment assets	165,485,315		165,485,315		162,351,385
Retail [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	6,029,449	6,273,400	12,478,399	12,216,660
Cost of revenues	2,659,066	2,555,545	5,278,713	5,065,540
Gross profit (loss)	3,370,383	3,717,855	7,199,686	7,151,120
General and administrative expenses	3,163,902	2,832,425	6,134,079	5,676,366
Income (loss) from operations	206,481	885,430	1,065,607	1,474,754
Land held for development	0		0		0
Accounts receivable, net	2,109,492		2,109,492		2,626,469
Property plant and equipment, net	23,621,754		23,621,754		24,277,463
Construction in progress	105,681		105,681		134,392
Intangibles, net	0		0		0
Goodwill	1,170,511		1,170,511		1,170,511
Total segment assets	52,776,187		52,776,187		53,049,868
Bulk [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	8,043,921	7,441,061	15,734,323	14,706,354
Cost of revenues	5,152,212	4,813,261	10,168,001	9,423,585
Gross profit (loss)	2,891,709	2,627,800	5,566,322	5,282,769
General and administrative expenses	323,654	441,987	624,731	877,882
Income (loss) from operations	2,568,055	2,185,813	4,941,591	4,404,887
Land held for development	0		0		0
Accounts receivable, net	10,461,311		10,461,311		12,692,714
Property plant and equipment, net	24,783,102		24,783,102		26,124,724
Construction in progress	2,714,010		2,714,010		743,296
Intangibles, net	566,863		566,863		599,960
Goodwill	2,328,526		2,328,526		2,328,526
Total segment assets	72,904,263		72,904,263		68,663,628
Services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	119,204	403,935	249,456	584,647
Cost of revenues	103,753	272,537	205,919	469,813
Gross profit (loss)	15,451	131,398	43,537	114,834
General and administrative expenses	891,714	913,159	1,635,120	1,719,731
Income (loss) from operations	(876,263)	(781,761)	(1,591,583)	(1,604,897)
Land held for development	20,558,424		20,558,424		20,558,424
Accounts receivable, net	974,505		974,505		629,930
Property plant and equipment, net	104,337		104,337		91,030
Construction in progress	(22,633)		(22,633)		0
Intangibles, net	0		0		15,516
Goodwill	0		0		0
Total segment assets	24,561,282		24,561,282		25,558,495
Manufacturing [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	1,056,047	1,260,806	2,435,895	1,879,335
Cost of revenues	847,760	1,035,142	1,889,057	1,455,609
Gross profit (loss)	208,287	225,664	546,838	423,726
General and administrative expenses	580,900	701,223	1,320,750	1,021,877
Income (loss) from operations	(372,613)	$ (475,559)	(773,912)	$ (598,151)
Land held for development	0		0		0
Accounts receivable, net	545,811		545,811		531,526
Property plant and equipment, net	1,953,942		1,953,942		1,978,320
Construction in progress	7,900		7,900		7,806
Intangibles, net	3,901,667		3,901,667		4,580,000
Goodwill	6,285,211		6,285,211		6,285,211
Total segment assets	$ 15,243,583		$ 15,243,583		$ 15,079,394