| **Summary Of Selected Financial Data**            | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 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| **Summary Of Selected Financial Data [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 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| Summary Of Selected Financial Data                |  

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

Years ended December 31,
2014 				2013 				2012 				2011 				2010 				
PER COMMON SHARE:

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

 

Income from continuing operations:

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

 

Basic

$
1.21 				
$
1.15 				
$
1.04 				
$
0.81 				
$
0.67 				
 

Diluted

						 
1.20 				
						 
1.15 				
						 
1.04 				
						 
0.81 				
						 
0.67 				
 

Income from discontinued operations:

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

 

Basic

						 
0.11 				
						 
0.10 				
						 
0.08 				
						 
0.02 				
						 
0.06 				
 

Diluted

						 
0.11 				
						 
0.10 				
						 
0.08 				
						 
0.02 				
						 
0.06 				
 

Net income:

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

 

Basic

						 
1.32 				
						 
1.26 				
						 
1.13 				
						 
0.83 				
						 
0.72 				
 

Diluted

						 
1.31 				
						 
1.25 				
						 
1.12 				
						 
0.83 				
						 
0.72 				
 

Cash dividends declared and paid

						 
0.63 				
						 
0.58 				
						 
0.54 				
						 
0.50 				
						 
0.47 				
 

Return on Aqua America stockholders' equity

						 
14.1% 				
						 
14.4% 				
						 
14.2% 				
						 
11.4% 				
						 
10.6% 				
 

Book value at year end

$
9.37 				
$
8.68 				
$
7.91 				
$
7.21 				
$
6.82 				
 

Market value at year end

						 
26.70 				
						 
23.59 				
						 
20.34 				
						 
17.64 				
						 
17.98 				
INCOME STATEMENT HIGHLIGHTS:

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

 

Operating revenues

$
779,903 				
$
761,893 				
$
750,685 				
$
680,677 				
$
653,812 				
 

Depreciation and amortization

						 
126,535 				
						 
123,985 				
						 
116,180 				
						 
107,463 				
						 
110,998 				
 

Interest expense, net (1)

						 
71,263 				
						 
75,041 				
						 
73,615 				
						 
70,658 				
						 
68,613 				
 

Income from continuing operations before income taxes

						 
239,103 				
						 
224,104 				
						 
247,057 				
						 
207,265 				
						 
187,930 				
 

Provision for income taxes

						 
25,219 				
						 
21,233 				
						 
65,220 				
						 
67,590 				
						 
73,521 				
 

Income from continuing operations

						 
213,884 				
						 
202,871 				
						 
181,837 				
						 
139,675 				
						 
114,409 				
 

Income from discontinued operations

						 
19,355 				
						 
18,429 				
						 
14,726 				
						 
3,394 				
						 
9,566 				
 

Net income attributable to common shareholders

						 
233,239 				
						 
221,300 				
						 
196,563 				
						 
143,069 				
						 
123,975 				
BALANCE SHEET HIGHLIGHTS:

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

 

Total assets

$
5,406,752 				
$
5,051,817 				
$
4,858,517 				
$
4,348,420 				
$
4,072,466 				
 

Property, plant and equipment, net

						 
4,401,990 				
						 
4,138,568 				
						 
3,907,552 				
						 
3,502,968 				
						 
3,249,740 				
 

Aqua America stockholders' equity

						 
1,655,343 				
						 
1,534,835 				
						 
1,385,704 				
						 
1,251,313 				
						 
1,174,254 				
 

Long-term debt, including current portion

						 
1,619,270 				
						 
1,554,871 				
						 
1,588,992 				
						 
1,475,886 				
						 
1,519,457 				
 

Total debt

						 
1,637,668 				
						 
1,591,611 				
						 
1,669,375 				
						 
1,583,657 				
						 
1,609,125 				
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

						 

 

Operating cash flows from continuing operations

$
364,888 				
$
365,409 				
$
375,823 				
$
349,927 				
$
242,457 				
 

Capital additions

						 
328,605 				
						 
307,908 				
						 
347,098 				
						 
324,360 				
						 
306,216 				
 

Net cash expended for acquisitions of utility systems and other

						 
14,616 				
						 
14,997 				
						 
121,248 				
						 
8,515 				
						 
8,625 				
 

Dividends on common stock

						 
112,106 				
						 
102,889 				
						 
93,423 				
						 
87,133 				
						 
80,907 				
 

Number of utility customers served (2)

						 
940,119 				
						 
928,200 				
						 
917,986 				
						 
848,336 				
						 
845,042 				
 

Number of shareholders of common stock 

						 
25,780 				
						 
25,833 				
						 
26,216 				
						 
26,744 				
						 
27,274 				
 

Common shares outstanding (000) 

						 
176,753 				
						 
176,751 				
						 
175,209 				
						 
173,519 				
						 
172,219 				
 

Employees (full-time) (2)

						 
1,617 				
						 
1,542 				
						 
1,556 				
						 
1,464 				
						 
1,480 				
  |

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| - Definition
The entire disclosures of supplemental information, including descriptions and amounts, related to the balance sheet, income statement, and/or cash flow statement.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_AdditionalFinancialInformationDisclosureTextBlock**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**nonnum:textBlockItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
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| - Details**Name:**wtr_SummaryOfSelectedFinancialDataAbstract**Namespace Prefix:**wtr_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |