What Is Aquamation and How Does Water Cremation Work

The Short Answer

Aquamation — also called water cremation, alkaline hydrolysis, or resomation — is a process that uses heated water and an alkaline solution to return a human body to its basic elements. Instead of flame, the body is placed in a stainless steel vessel filled with roughly 95% water and 5% potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide. Under heat — and, in some systems, pressure — soft tissue dissolves over several hours, leaving behind clean bone minerals that are dried, processed, and returned to the family.

The result looks and feels similar to traditional cremation ashes, though the remains are whiter, finer, and 20% to 32% larger in volume because the low-temperature chemistry preserves more bone mass than fire does.

What Happens During the Process

A high-temperature, high-pressure system heats the solution to around 300°F to 320°F and completes the cycle in four to six hours. A low-temperature, atmospheric system operates closer to 200°F and takes twelve to sixteen hours. Both produce the same end result.

Once the cycle finishes, the bone fragments are transferred to a heated drying cabinet for 24 to 48 hours, then processed through a cremulator — the same pulverizing equipment used in flame cremation — to produce a uniform powder. Families typically receive the remains within six to ten days of the death.

Medical implants like pacemakers, titanium hip replacements, and dental amalgams survive the process intact and are recovered cleanly afterward. This is a meaningful departure from flame cremation, where pacemaker batteries can explode and mercury from dental fillings vaporizes into the atmosphere.

Where It Is Available

As of 2026, aquamation is legal in 29 U.S. states. Legal status does not guarantee an active facility, so confirm current provider availability before making arrangements. New Hampshire explicitly prohibits the process. In Canada, five jurisdictions allow it: Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Northwest Territories.

If you live in a state without a provider, you can arrange interstate transport of the body to a facility in a neighboring state, though this requires transit permits and will add time and cost to the arrangement.

Why Families Choose It

The most common reasons fall into three categories.

Environmental values. Aquamation uses up to 90% less energy than flame cremation and produces zero direct stack emissions — no CO₂, no mercury vapor, no particulate matter released into the air.

Gentler symbolism. For families who find the image of fire distressing, the water-based metaphor of aquamation offers emotional comfort. This is especially relevant for Jewish families where flame cremation carries traumatic associations with the Holocaust, and for communities where water symbolizes purification.

Practical advantages with implants. Families of someone with a pacemaker or defibrillator avoid the mandatory pre-cremation surgical removal required by flame-based facilities. The device is simply recovered after the cycle.

What It Costs

Aquamation typically runs between $2,500 and $4,500 — roughly comparable to the upper end of flame cremation ($1,500 to $4,000) and significantly less than traditional casketed burial ($7,000 to $15,000 or more). The price varies by provider, region, and whether the funeral home operates its own vessel or transports the body to a partner facility.

Ask for the General Price List before committing. Some providers bundle the hydrolysis fee with basic services, while others add separate charges for transportation, shrouding, and the temporary container for remains.

One Thing Most People Do Not Know

Aquamation returns substantially more remains than flame cremation. An average adult yields around 220 to 250 cubic inches of processed bone minerals — well beyond the 200 cubic inches that standard cremation urns are designed to hold. If you are selecting an urn, size it for aquamation specifically. Our Aquamation Coordination Guide includes an urn sizing calculator and provider comparison worksheet to prevent this common and distressing miscalculation.