Name:	cva_EstimatedCapitalExpendituresForProject
Namespace Prefix:	cva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Estimated Capital Improvements

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cva_EstimatedCapitalImprovements
Namespace Prefix:	cva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Estimated Investment For Project

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cva_EstimatedInvestmentForProject
Namespace Prefix:	cva_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Estimated Total Annual Waste

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cva_EstimatedTotalAnnualWaste
Namespace Prefix:	cva_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Mass Capacity of New Facility

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cva_MassCapacityofNewFacility
Namespace Prefix:	cva_
Data Type:	num:massItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of consideration transferred, consisting of acquisition-date fair value of assets transferred by the acquirer, liabilities incurred by the acquirer, and equity interest issued by the acquirer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911251&loc=d3e6578-128477

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e6927-128479

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911251&loc=d3e6613-128477

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66011266&loc=d3e33918-111571

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of businesses acquired by the entity during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of business during the period. The cash portion only of the acquisition price.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3213-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of a business, net of the cash acquired from the purchase.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=us-gaap_SeriesOfIndividuallyImmaterialBusinessAcquisitionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=cva_EnvironmentalServicesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	cva_SubsidiaryAxis=cva_NYCWasteContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=cva_DublinEfWFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=cva_GreenInvestmentGroupLimitedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

New Business and Asset Management (Details) € in Millions, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended				60 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) T MWh business	Dec. 31, 2017 EUR (€) T MWh business	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) business	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) business	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of Businesses Acquired \| business	3	3	2	4
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	$ 16		$ 9	$ 72
Volume of New Facility \| T	600,000	600,000
Energy Capacity of New Facility \| MWh	58	58
Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	$ 17
Environmental Services [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross	$ 9		69
NYC Waste Contract [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Contract Duration	20 years	20 years
Estimated Investment For Project	$ 150
Capital Invested In Project	$ 0		$ (3)	$ (31)	$ (115)
Estimated Total Annual Waste \| T	800,000	800,000
Estimated Capital Expenditures For Project	$ 114
Estimated Capital Improvements	$ 36
Dublin EfW Facility [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	50.00%	50.00%			50.00%
Dublin EfW Facility [Member] \| Green Investment Group Limited [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	50.00%	50.00%			50.00%
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred \| €		€ 136