Water Cremation and Aquamation Laws in Your State

For decades, people choosing what happens to their body after death have had only two realistic options—burial or traditional cremation. But that might be changing. A relatively new process called "water cremation" or "aquamation" is now recognized in the laws of about half of the U.S. states, and every year more states are considering legalizing the process. Funeral homes and crematories are still catching up, but it's now often possible to find a provider of water cremation either in your own state or a nearby state.

What Is Water Cremation or Aquamation?

How does water cremation work? Water cremation or aquamation is a chemical process more formally called "alkaline hydrolysis." The chemical process uses a solution of 95% water and 5% potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide to reduce a body to components of liquid and bone.

After a body is aquamated, bone fragments are retained so they can be dried and turned into a substance similar to cremated ashes. The bone byproduct of alkaline hydrolysis may be scattered, buried, or disposed in any way that traditionally cremated ashes are handled. Implants such as dental fillings or pacemakers can be easily separated from the bone fragments before the bones are rendered into "ash."

The liquid byproduct of alkaline hydrolysis is a nontoxic solution of amino acids, peptides, sugars, and soap that can be disposed of through local sewage systems. Many have uncomfortably analogized this process to "pouring bodies down the drain," a characterization that often overlooks the fact that body fluids and blood are also routinely disposed of the same way during traditional embalming practices.

How Long Does Water Cremation Take?

Essentially, aquamation mirrors the chemical decomposition that happens when a body is buried, except aquamation is much faster. In fact, water cremation takes just hours—usually from four to 16 hours, depending on the temperature and pressure in the chamber.

Other Names for Water Cremation or Aquamation

Water cremation or aquamation might go by another name in your local area. These terms all refer to the same process:

• water cremation
• aquamation
• aqua cremation
• bio-cremation
• flameless cremation
• green cremation
• cremation by water, and
• resomnation.

Arguments For and Against Aquamation

From the early 1990s through the mid-2000s, aquamation was used only as a method for disposing of animal remains or cadavers left to medical schools for research. More recently, states have been considering adding aquamation to the available options for body disposition, alongside burial and traditional cremation. Often, this proposal is controversial.

Advantages of Water Cremation

Supporters of water cremation argue that it's the most environmentally friendly method of body disposition, using five times less energy than traditional fire cremation and producing no greenhouse gases. It can also reduce the amount of wood, metal, and concrete used in funerals, and help break down formaldehyde and embalming fluid.

Opposition to Water Cremation

So why is water cremation still not legal in many states? The vast majority of opponents to water cremation object on the grounds that it is not a dignified way to treat human remains. For example, water cremation was briefly legal in New Hampshire, but the law was repealed, and the Catholic Church of New Hampshire successfully opposed new legislation.

Similarly, in Ohio the Catholic Conference of Ohio contributed to the defeat of aquamation legislation. But not all Catholics oppose water cremation; some consider aquamation to be "morally neutral."

How Much Does Water Cremation Cost?

Water cremation typically costs in the range of $2,000 to $3,500, falling in the higher end of the traditional cremation costs. One prominent funeral home in Colorado, for example, prices water cremation at $3,200, which is $1,000 higher than its traditional cremation cost. (See this 2023 NPR interview on water cremation.)

Note that both traditional cremations and water cremations are less expensive than burials. For reference, the average cost of a casket itself is more than $2000.

Water cremation is usually a little more expensive than traditional cremation because the alkaline hydrolysis equipment is quite expensive. (It might cost a provider between $175,000 and $260,000 to purchase an alkaline hydrolysis unit.) That said, the costs of burial and cremation services vary widely by location and provider.

Where Is Aquamation Legal in the U.S.?

What states allow water cremation? This chart below shows which states have approved alkaline hydrolysis, and where it has yet to be recognized. You can also click on the name of the state to learn more about its burial and cremation laws.

Note that this chart instead shows where aquamation of human remains is legal. (Pet aquamation might be available in other places.)

Finding a Funeral Home That Offers Water Cremation

Even if your state laws recognize the practice of aquamation, you might still have trouble finding a funeral home or crematory that offers the service. In some states, water cremation is legal but no facilities yet offer it. The equipment is expensive, and public demand is still small—though it is growing. In some states, laws were passed very recently, and funeral homes are still catching up.

If water cremation is important to you but you can't find a facility in your state, consider traveling to a nearby state where water cremation facilities are already operating. Use the chart above to locate potential states.

More Resources

Read more about the process of alkaline hydrolysis from the Cremation Association of America.

To learn more about final arrangements, including traditional methods of body disposition, see Getting Your Affairs in Order.