What Is Aquamation? A Guide to Water Cremation
A growing number of options exist beyond conventional burial and flame cremation. For families exploring more eco-friendly end-of-life options in Southern California, aquamation is another option to consider. Because it uses significantly less energy and resources than flame cremation and conventional burial, aquamation is considered a greener alternative.
We’ll cover how aquamation works, what happens afterward, and how it compares with flame cremation and conventional burial, including some of the environmental considerations to understand when deciding whether it’s right for you.
How Does Aquamation Work?
For the aquamation process, the individual is placed in a specialized vessel filled with warm circulating water and an alkaline solution. There is some variability in the process, as there are a few different aquamation system designs. For instance, the amount of water needed and the time the system runs vary by system, and the amount of alkaline used varies by an individual’s body weight and mass. But no matter the system, the process breaks down the body's chemical bonds and gently transforms soft tissue into liquid over several hours.
The individual’s bones remain intact after the aquamation process and are carefully removed from the vessel. Before the bones can be processed into a powder, any non-bone material is sorted out, and the bones are dried. Once dried, the bones are reduced to a fine powder. This process is very similar to the process that occurs after flame cremation.
What is Returned to the Family after Aquamation?
The fine powder is returned to the family as “ash.” This powder is much finer and much lighter in color than the remains seen from flame cremation.
Families can use the remains as memorialization- whether that’s keeping them in an urn, scattering the remains, creating memorialization jewelry, or solidifying them into something like Parting Stones.
Is Aquamation the Same as Water Cremation?
Aquamation, water cremation, and alkaline hydrolysis are different terms for the same process that uses water and an alkaline solution to accelerate decomposition.
Alkaline hydrolysis is the technical term. Water cremation describes the process in more familiar language, while aquamation is another commonly used name. You may also encounter terms such as flameless cremation or green cremation.
What Happens to the Water After Aquamation?
One of the most common questions about water cremation is what happens to the water at the end of the process.
By the end of the aquamation process, the body’s soft tissues have been broken down into basic organic compounds, including amino acids, salts, and sugars, which become part of the water-based solution; this is referred to as effluent. The liquid is then neutralized and released into the municipal water treatment system where it is recycled in accordance with local requirements. From there, the treated water returns to the water cycle.
Is Aquamation Legal in California?
Yes. In 2017, Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 967, establishing a legal framework for alkaline hydrolysis, also known as aquamation or water cremation, in California. The law went into effect on July 1, 2020, making aquamation legally available as an option for California families.
Is Aquamation Eco-Friendly?
Yes. Aquamation uses approximately 85–90% less energy than flame cremation and does not rely on combustion. Because of this, it avoids the direct air emissions associated with burning fossil fuels during flame cremation.
Aquamation does use water, electricity, and an alkaline solution, so it is not without environmental impact. However, its overall energy use and greenhouse gas emissions are significantly lower than those associated with flame cremation.
Compared with conventional burial, aquamation also avoids many of the resources associated with burial, including cemetery land, caskets, concrete burial vaults, embalming chemicals, and ongoing cemetery maintenance. For these reasons, aquamation is generally considered a more environmentally friendly alternative to both flame cremation and conventional burial.
Aquamation uses approximately 400 gallons of water per person, depending on the equipment and process used. For perspective, the average American uses about 82 gallons of water per day at home, meaning 400 gallons is roughly equivalent to five days of one person’s typical household water use.
We've put together a guide comparing the disposition options available in Southern California, including how each works and some of the key differences to consider.
Considering Aquamation in Los Angeles?
Learn more about LifeSource's water cremation services or contact our team to discuss your options.
Considering or exploring other options?
LifeSource offers the following dispositions:
- Terramation
- Aquamation(covered here)
- Flame Cremation
- Burial at Sea
- Natural Burial
