2.2.0.7 false Environmental Matters 11001 - Disclosure - Environmental Matters true false false false 1 USD false false Unit1 Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 Unit13 Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 Unit12 Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 $ 2 Notes To Financial Statements [Abstract] 0 awk_NotesToFinancialStatementsAbstract awk false na duration Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract] false false false false false true false false false false false false 1 false false false false 0 0 false false false xbrli:stringItemType string Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract] false 3 Environmental Matters 1 us-gaap_EnvironmentalLossContingencyDisclosureTextBlock us-gaap true na duration No definition available. false false false false false false false false false false false false 1 false false false false 0 0 <div> Note 10: Environmental Matters The Company's water and wastewater operations are subject to federal, state, local and foreign requirements relating to environmental protection and as such the Company periodically becomes subject to environmental claims in the normal course of business. Remediation costs that relate to an existing condition caused by past operations are accrued when it is probable that these costs will be incurred and can be reasonably estimated. Remediation costs accrued amounted to $6,730 and $7,947 at September 30, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively. Included in the balance of the accrual was $6,600 at September 30, 2010 and $7,700 at December 31, 2009 related to a conservation agreement entered into by a subsidiary of the Company with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ("NOAA") requiring the Company to, among other provisions, implement certain measures to protect the steelhead trout and its habitat in the Carmel River watershed in the state of California. The Company has agreed to pay $1,100 annually from 2010 through 2016; the 2010 payment was made in June. The payments will be used to improve habitat conditions for the steelhead trout in the Carmel River Watershed and will end upon a regional desalinization plant becoming operational and the subsidiary's diversions from the Carmel River coming within permitted limits. The Company pursues recovery of incurred costs through all appropriate means, including regulatory recovery through customer rates. The Company's Regulatory assets at September 30, 2010 include $11,026 related to the NOAA agreement, including an additional $3,500 granted for recovery during the three months ended September 30, 2010. </div> Note 10: Environmental Matters The Company's water and wastewater operations are subject to federal, state, local and foreign requirements relating to false false false us-types:textBlockItemType textblock Disclosures of environmental loss contingencies, such as presence of hazardous waste, relevant information from reports issued by regulators, and estimated costs to achieve compliance with regulatory requirements. This element may be used for all of an entity's disclosures about environmental loss contingencies. This element may be used as a single block of text to encapsulate the entire inventory disclosure including data and tables. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Statement of Position (SOP) -Number 96-1 -Paragraph 152, 163, 172 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) -Number Topic 5 -Section Y false 1 2 false UnKnown UnKnown UnKnown false true