Water Cremation: A New Alternative
Deciding how to honor your loved one is a personal and often highly emotional and meaningful choice. Cremation is growing in popularity for a number of reasons—including the variety of options available. One of those options is water cremation.
Water cremation, also known as alkaline hydrolysis or flameless cremation, is a process that uses water and alkaline chemicals with the addition of heat to break down a loved one's body. Some people consider water cremation to be a gentler alternative to flame-based cremation.If the idea of fire makes you uncomfortable, water cremation may be a good alternative for you. Plus, water cremation allows for limitless ways to memorialize your loved one. At the end of the process, you’ll have your loved one's ashes to scatter, keep close or create a permanent cemetery memorial.
Get A Guide to Water Cremation
Learn what you need to know about this new end-of-life option, including how it works and when to plan a celebration.
How does water cremation work?
A loved one is placed in a special vessel containing warm water and alkaline chemicals. To accelerate the natural breakdown, the fluid is heated and gently agitated. The fluid breaks down the body's chemical bonds. The process is similar to that which occurs naturally after burial—just much faster.
In a few hours, all that's left of a loved one's body are bone fragments and a sterile solution containing salts, sugars and protein molecules. When the process is complete, no tissue or DNA remains. The sterile liquid is disposed of and the transformation to ashes begins.
The bone fragments are dried and carefully processed into ashes that are much like those families receive back after traditional cremation. Water cremation ashes are usually finer and whiter than those from traditional cremation, and the process results in more ashes than flame-based cremation.
How does water cremation compare to traditional cremation?
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Water cremation |
Traditional cremation |
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Uses 400 gallons of water |
Uses no water |
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Uses less energy than traditional cremation |
Uses less energy and other natural resources than burial |
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Takes about 4 hours |
Takes 2-3 hours |
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Ashes can be scattered and/or memorialized |
Ashes can be scattered and/or memorialized |
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Can include funeral, memorial or celebration of life |
Can include funeral, memorial or celebration of life |
How much does water cremation cost?
Water cremation is usually a bit more expensive than traditional flame cremation, and the cost will vary depending on where the cremation takes place, the urn chosen, whether the family holds a memorial or celebration of life, and whether there will be cemetery memorialization. Every option available to families who choose traditional cremation is also available for those who choose water cremation.
The average cost of water cremation without a service before or after is between $2,000 and $4,000.
Where is water cremation legal?
Though water cremation was developed and patented in 1888 and has been available commercially since 1993, it's not yet legal in all states or provinces. At the time of this writing, around half of U.S. states and Canadian provinces had legalized alkaline hydrolysis. As additional states and provinces pass legislation to allow this alternative, that number will grow. What's more, even if water cremation is legal in a state or province, it may not actually be available there just yet.
Here's where water cremation was legal and/or available as of March 31, 2024.
The Cremation Association of North America has the most current map. Find a Dignity Memorial water cremation provider here.
What can you do with a loved one’s ashes?
There are lots of options for a loved one’s ashes. That's one reason families choose cremation. You can keep ashes at home, divide them among family members, or place them in a cemetery, in a burial plot, mausoleum niche or cremation garden.
Some families opt to scatter their loved one's ashes in a special place. Additionally, ashes can be made into cremation jewelry, memory glass, keepsake rocks, tattoos, vinyl records and more.
When should you hold a cremation memorial?
Another reason families choose cremation is the flexibility of planning a service. Whether cremation memorial or celebration of life, a service can be held right before the cremation or days, weeks or months afterward. The timing is up to you, and scheduling the service after the cremation allows out-of-town friends and family to make travel plans.
Regardless of the type of service—be it a large celebration or a small ceremony—a Dignity Memorial® advisor can help you plan an event that deeply reflects the life being honored.