Postretirement Benefit Plans (Details Textual) (USD $) In Millions, except Share data in Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended				3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended					3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011 investment	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011 Xylem U.S. Defined Benefit Pension Plans for Hourly Employees	Dec. 31, 2011 ITT Spin Off Defined Contibution Plans	Dec. 31, 2011 ITT Spin Off Defined Contibution Plans	Dec. 31, 2012 ITT Spin Off Defined Contibution Plans	Dec. 31, 2011 ITT Salaried Retirement Plan	Dec. 31, 2012 International defined benefit pension plans	Dec. 31, 2011 International defined benefit pension plans	Dec. 31, 2010 International defined benefit pension plans		Mar. 31, 2012 International defined benefit pension plans Canada Plans	Sep. 30, 2011 ITT Industries General Pension Plan	Jun. 30, 2011 ITT Industries General Pension Plan	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum
Defined Benefit Plans And Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block
Assets transferred to defined contribution plan					$ 144
Assets received from Spin-off				45					0	337
Number of investment options		29
Number of years eligible employees can receive transition credits	5 years
Minimum age plus years of service to be eligible to receive transition credits	60
Liability for transition credits	3	1
Employer matching contribution																3.00%	7.00%
Number of shares held by employees in Employee Stock Ownership Plan	528
Pension and other postretirement benefit costs	49	24
Fair value of plan assets	477	417					337		426	373	35
Projected benefit obligation	855	716			400	400			707	599	172
Other comprehensive (loss), before tax	(30)	(132)	(37)			105
Comprehensive income, net of tax	290	161	294			73
Charge resulting from curtailment or settlement recorded	2	0	0					1	2	0	0	[1]	2
Number of international pension plans													5
Adjustment of other comprehensive income due to curtailment of the defined benefit plan, before tax										97				9
Adjustment of other comprehensive income due to curtailment of the defined benefit plan, net of tax										68				6
Discount rate														5.75%	6.00%
Weighted Average Remaining Lives of Plan Participants														27 years
Prior service cost expected to be recognized next fiscal year	1
Net actuarial losses expected to be recognized next fiscal year	(17)
Prior service cost, net of tax	1
Net actuarial losses, net of tax	13
Accumulated benefit obligation	740	634
Expected long-term return on plan assets	7.40%
Assumed rate of health care costs increases, next fiscal year	7.68%
Ultimate assumed average annual health care cost increases	5.00%
Description of health care cost assumptions	The assumed rate of future increases in the per capita cost of health care (the health care trend rate) is 7.68% for 2013, decreasing ratably to 5% in 2020.
Year that assumed average health care cost increase is reached	2020
Effect of increase in health care trends by one percent per year on annual service interest (less than $1 million)	1
Effect of decrease in health care trends by one percent per year on annual service interest (less than $1 million)	1
Effect of increase in health care trends by one percent per year on benefit obligation	8
Effect of decrease in health care trends by one percent per year on benefit obligation	8
Employer Contribution to defined benefit Plan	46	16							38	9
Estimated pension plan contributions during next fiscal year																30	40
Estimated pension plan contributions during the next fiscal quarter	$ 9

[1] Represents pre Spin-off from ITT and does not include plans transferred from ITT upon Spin-off.