Long-Term Liabilities and Bank Borrowings	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-Term Liabilities and Bank Borrowings	Long-Term Liabilities and Bank Borrowings SJW Corp.'s contractual obligations and commitments include senior notes, mortgages and other obligations. San Jose Water Company, a subsidiary of SJW Corp., has received advance deposit payments from its customers on certain construction projects. Refunds of the advance deposit payments constitute an obligation of San Jose Water Company solely. In April 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ASU 2015-03, “Interest — Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs” which became effective for SJW Corp. during the first quarter of 2016. ASU 2015-03 changes the presentation of debt issuance costs for term debt in the balance sheet by requiring the debt issuance costs to be presented as a direct deduction from the related debt liability, rather than recorded as an asset. In August 2015, ASU 2015-15, “Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements,” was issued to provide clarification to ASU 2015-03. The standard specifies that the SEC would not object to an entity deferring and presenting debt issuance costs as an asset and subsequently amortizing deferred debt issuance costs ratably over the term of the line-of-credit arrangement, regardless of whether there are any outstanding borrowings on the line-of-credit arrangement. This standard required application on a retrospective basis. Upon adoption of the standard, SJW Corp. reclassified its debt issuance costs totaling $3,561 and $3,638 which was originally included in unamortized debt issuance, broker and reacquisition costs against its long-term debt on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. There was no impact from adopting the new standard on SJW Corp.'s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, Changes in Shareholders' Equity, and Cash Flows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and year ended December 31, 2015. On June 1, 2016, San Jose Water Company entered into a $125,000 credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as the lender (the “Lender”). The Credit Agreement provides an unsecured credit facility with a letter of credit sublimit of $10,000. Proceeds of borrowings under the Credit Agreement may be used to refinance existing debt, for working capital, and for general corporate purposes. The Credit Agreement has a maturity date of June 1, 2021. The Credit Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and events of default, as well as certain restrictive covenants customary for facilities of this type, including restrictions on indebtedness, liens, acquisitions and investments, restricted payments, asset sales, and fundamental changes. The Credit Agreement also includes certain financial covenants that require the Company to maintain a maximum funded debt to capitalization ratio and a minimum interest coverage ratio. On June 1, 2016, the company entered into a fourth amendment to San Jose Water Company’s existing $85,000 credit agreement, dated as of March 1, 2012, as amended from time to time (the “WF Credit Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (“Wells Fargo”) thereby reducing the maximum principal amount available under such line of credit to $3,060. Pursuant to such amendment, no further borrowing was permitted under the WF Credit Agreement and the WF Credit Agreement remained outstanding for the sole purpose of reimbursing Wells Fargo for any draws against outstanding letters of credit for the California Department of Water Resources' Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (“SDWSRF”) loans and related fees until such letters of credit were replaced or terminated. All outstanding borrowings under the WF Credit Agreement were paid off as of September 30, 2016. Under both the Credit Agreement and the WF Credit Agreement total borrowings could not exceed $125,000. On June 29, 2016, San Jose Water Company paid off the SDWSRF loans' remaining balance of $1,823 which had a maturity date in 2027 and the WF Credit Agreement and letters of credit were terminated on September 27, 2016. On June 1, 2016, SJW Corp. and SJW Land Company (collectively, the “Borrowers”), entered into a $15,000 credit agreement with the Lender (the “SJW Corp. Credit Agreement”), which provides an unsecured credit facility to the Borrowers with a letter of credit sublimit of $5,000. The SJW Corp. Credit Agreement matures on June 1, 2021. Borrowings under the SJW Corp. Credit Agreement bear interest under the same terms and conditions as those in the Credit Agreement. The SJW Corp. Credit Agreement replaced the then outstanding $15,000 credit agreement, dated March 1, 2012, as amended from time to time, between the Borrowers and Wells Fargo, which was paid off and terminated. In addition, on June 1, 2016, SJW Corp., as guarantor, and SJWTX, Inc. (the “Borrower”), entered into a $5,000 credit agreement with the Lender (the “SJWTX Credit Agreement”), which provides an unsecured credit facility to the Borrower with a letter of credit sublimit of $1,000. The SJWTX Credit Agreement matures on June 1, 2021.

Long-Term Liabilities and Bank Borrowings

SJW Corp.'s contractual obligations and commitments include senior notes, mortgages and other obligations. San Jose Water Company, a subsidiary of SJW Corp., has received advance deposit payments from its customers on certain construction projects. Refunds of the advance deposit payments constitute an obligation of San Jose Water Company solely.

In April 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ASU 2015-03, “Interest — Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs” which became effective for SJW Corp. during the first quarter of 2016. ASU 2015-03 changes the presentation of debt issuance costs for term debt in the balance sheet by requiring the debt issuance costs to be presented as a direct deduction from the related debt liability, rather than recorded as an asset. In August 2015, ASU 2015-15, “Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements,” was issued to provide clarification to ASU 2015-03. The standard specifies that the SEC would not object to an entity deferring and presenting debt issuance costs as an asset and subsequently amortizing deferred debt issuance costs ratably over the term of the line-of-credit arrangement, regardless of whether there are any outstanding borrowings on the line-of-credit arrangement. This standard required application on a retrospective basis. Upon adoption of the standard, SJW Corp. reclassified its debt issuance costs totaling $3,561 and $3,638 which was originally included in unamortized debt issuance, broker and reacquisition costs against its long-term debt on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. There was no impact from adopting the new standard on SJW Corp.'s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, Changes in Shareholders' Equity, and Cash Flows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and year ended December 31, 2015.

On June 1, 2016, San Jose Water Company entered into a $125,000 credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as the lender (the “Lender”). The Credit Agreement provides an unsecured credit facility with a letter of credit sublimit of $10,000. Proceeds of borrowings under the Credit Agreement may be used to refinance existing debt, for working capital, and for general corporate purposes. The Credit Agreement has a maturity date of June 1, 2021.

The Credit Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and events of default, as well as certain restrictive covenants customary for facilities of this type, including restrictions on indebtedness, liens, acquisitions and investments, restricted payments, asset sales, and fundamental changes. The Credit Agreement also includes certain financial covenants that require the Company to maintain a maximum funded debt to capitalization ratio and a minimum interest coverage ratio.

On June 1, 2016, the company entered into a fourth amendment to San Jose Water Company’s existing $85,000 credit agreement, dated as of March 1, 2012, as amended from time to time (the “WF Credit Agreement”) with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (“Wells Fargo”) thereby reducing the maximum principal amount available under such line of credit to $3,060. Pursuant to such amendment, no further borrowing was permitted under the WF Credit Agreement and the WF Credit Agreement remained outstanding for the sole purpose of reimbursing Wells Fargo for any draws against outstanding letters of credit for the California Department of Water Resources' Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (“SDWSRF”) loans and related fees until such letters of credit were replaced or terminated. All outstanding borrowings under the WF Credit Agreement were paid off as of September 30, 2016. Under both the Credit Agreement and the WF Credit Agreement total borrowings could not exceed $125,000. On June 29, 2016, San Jose Water Company paid off the SDWSRF loans' remaining balance of $1,823 which had a maturity date in 2027 and the WF Credit Agreement and letters of credit were terminated on September 27, 2016.

On June 1, 2016, SJW Corp. and SJW Land Company (collectively, the “Borrowers”), entered into a $15,000 credit agreement with the Lender (the “SJW Corp. Credit Agreement”), which provides an unsecured credit facility to the Borrowers with a letter of credit sublimit of $5,000. The SJW Corp. Credit Agreement matures on June 1, 2021. Borrowings under the SJW Corp. Credit Agreement bear interest under the same terms and conditions as those in the Credit Agreement. The SJW Corp. Credit Agreement replaced the then outstanding $15,000 credit agreement, dated March 1, 2012, as amended from time to time, between the Borrowers and Wells Fargo, which was paid off and terminated.

In addition, on June 1, 2016, SJW Corp., as guarantor, and SJWTX, Inc. (the “Borrower”), entered into a $5,000 credit agreement with the Lender (the “SJWTX Credit Agreement”), which provides an unsecured credit facility to the Borrower with a letter of credit sublimit of $1,000. The SJWTX Credit Agreement matures on June 1, 2021.