Segment information (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 15,872,215	$ 15,283,188	$ 31,208,610	$ 30,960,294
Cost of revenues	9,276,102	8,826,615	18,007,979	17,670,153
Gross profit	6,596,113	6,456,573	13,200,631	13,290,141
General and administrative expenses	4,554,754	5,001,669	9,322,198	9,798,861
Loss on asset dispositions and impairments, net	650	997,006	1,990	987,406
Income (loss) from operations	2,040,709	457,898	3,876,443	2,503,874
Other income, net	307,298	18,289	452,208	412,068
Income before income taxes	2,348,007	476,187	4,328,651	2,915,942
Benefit from income taxes	(48,878)	(136,448)	(126,266)	(276,145)
Net income	2,396,885	612,635	4,454,917	3,192,087
Income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	208,692	(11,913)	174,199	(63,689)
Net income attributable to Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. stockholders	2,188,193	624,548	4,280,718	3,255,776
Total segment assets	167,300,824		167,300,824		$ 165,480,895
Accounts receivable, net	22,161,267		22,161,267		15,047,846
Property plant and equipment, net	48,476,540		48,476,540		50,525,064
Construction in progress	11,397,699		11,397,699		1,823,284
Intangible assets, net	3,062,337		3,062,337		3,765,434
Goodwill	8,384,248		8,384,248		8,384,248
Land held for development	20,642,660		20,642,660		20,558,424
Retail [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	6,268,023	6,064,016	12,699,371	12,540,620
Cost of revenues	2,722,650	2,722,890	5,484,204	5,407,176
Gross profit	3,545,373	3,341,126	7,215,167	7,133,444
General and administrative expenses	2,930,268	3,205,400	6,075,751	6,218,260
Loss on asset dispositions and impairments, net	650	997,006	1,990	987,406
Income (loss) from operations	614,455	(861,280)	1,137,426	(72,222)
Total segment assets	50,290,675		50,290,675		52,095,524
Accounts receivable, net	2,128,461		2,128,461		2,406,595
Property plant and equipment, net	22,743,321		22,743,321		23,172,382
Construction in progress	2,808,548		2,808,548		321,368
Intangible assets, net	0		0		0
Goodwill	1,170,511		1,170,511		1,170,511
Land held for development	0		0		0
Bulk [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	8,488,850	8,043,921	16,717,365	15,734,323
Cost of revenues	5,793,704	5,152,212	11,190,295	10,168,001
Gross profit	2,695,146	2,891,709	5,527,070	5,566,322
General and administrative expenses	349,897	323,655	691,864	624,731
Loss on asset dispositions and impairments, net	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from operations	2,345,249	2,568,054	4,835,206	4,941,591
Total segment assets	79,219,905		79,219,905		75,785,323
Accounts receivable, net	18,504,599		18,504,599		10,177,620
Property plant and equipment, net	23,925,932		23,925,932		25,420,819
Construction in progress	8,585,860		8,585,860		1,498,625
Intangible assets, net	500,670		500,670		533,767
Goodwill	2,328,526		2,328,526		2,328,526
Land held for development	0		0		0
Services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	122,912	119,204	246,676	249,456
Cost of revenues	104,069	103,753	238,940	205,919
Gross profit	18,843	15,451	7,736	43,537
General and administrative expenses	665,738	891,714	1,316,374	1,635,120
Loss on asset dispositions and impairments, net	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from operations	(646,895)	(876,263)	(1,308,638)	(1,591,583)
Total segment assets	25,562,952		25,562,952		24,488,173
Accounts receivable, net	1,353,766		1,353,766		1,155,318
Property plant and equipment, net	69,062		69,062		84,339
Construction in progress	3,291		3,291		3,291
Intangible assets, net	0		0		0
Goodwill	0		0		0
Land held for development	20,642,660		20,642,660		20,558,424
Manufacturing [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	992,430	1,056,047	1,545,198	2,435,895
Cost of revenues	655,679	847,760	1,094,540	1,889,057
Gross profit	336,751	208,287	450,658	546,838
General and administrative expenses	608,851	580,900	1,238,209	1,320,750
Loss on asset dispositions and impairments, net	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from operations	(272,100)	$ (372,613)	(787,551)	$ (773,912)
Total segment assets	12,227,292		12,227,292		13,111,875
Accounts receivable, net	174,441		174,441		1,308,313
Property plant and equipment, net	1,738,225		1,738,225		1,847,524
Construction in progress	0		0		0
Intangible assets, net	2,561,667		2,561,667		3,231,667
Goodwill	4,885,211		4,885,211		4,885,211
Land held for development	$ 0		$ 0		$ 0