What Is Aquamation? A San Diego Family Guide

If you are reading this because someone you love has died, or because you are thinking ahead, take a breath. There is no deadline on this page. Aquamation, also called water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis, is a gentler, flameless way to care for a body after death. It ends the same way flame cremation does: with bone fragments that are processed and returned to your family. Here is how it works, what California requires, and what to ask.

Table of Contents

• Quick Answer
• TL;DR
• What aquamation means
• How the aquamation process works
• Aquamation and flame cremation side by side
• Is aquamation really more eco-friendly?
• What California requires
• Questions to settle before you choose
• Remembering, whatever method you choose
• Our perspective on aquamation
• Aquamation at Bravo Family Mortuary
• Frequently asked questions
• Sources

Quick Answer

Aquamation is a form of final disposition that uses water, gentle heat, and an alkaline solution (potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide) inside a sealed hydrolysis chamber to reduce a body to bone fragments and a liquid. The bone is dried, processed into a fine powder, and returned to the family in an urn, much like cremated remains. California’s statutory definition took effect on July 1, 2020. At Bravo Family Mortuary, Direct Water Cremation is $4,200.

TL;DR

• Aquamation uses water, an alkaline agent, and gentle heat instead of flame. The family receives processed bone remains, just as with flame cremation.
• It is regulated in California as hydrolysis, with its own permits, records, and wastewater requirements.
• Published scholarship points to much lower energy use and no combustion emissions, but results depend on the whole process, so treat the numbers as estimates.
• Ceremony, viewing, and urn choices are separate from the method, so you can plan them however you wish.
• Bravo’s Direct Water Cremation is $4,200, and you can arrange it online at any hour through our PartingPros portal.

What aquamation means

The word joins “aqua” (water) and “cremation.” Funeral professionals and lawmakers more often say alkaline hydrolysis, and you will also see “liquid cremation,” “biocremation,” and “water cremation.” They describe the same thing. One legal scholar notes that the method is best understood as a modern alternative to flame cremation: a water-based chemical process that leaves bone to be processed into ash-like remains.

The idea behind it is simple. The process speeds up what happens naturally to a body in the earth, in a controlled and dignified setting. Nothing is burned.

Washington State’s rules, for example, define hydrolysis as reducing human remains to bone fragments and essential elements using heat, pressure, water, and base chemical agents. California’s law uses similar terms and treats hydrolyzed remains as human remains with the same standing and respect as any others.

How the aquamation process works

Equipment differs between facilities, so details vary. In general, the steps look like this:

1. Identification and authorization. Before anything begins, the family signs written authorization, and the funeral home confirms the identity of the person in its care. An identification record stays with them throughout.
2. Preparation. The person is gently placed in a basket or tray, usually in a natural-fiber covering, and placed in the hydrolysis vessel.
3. Hydrolysis. The sealed vessel is filled with water and an alkaline agent. Warmth, and in some systems pressure and gentle circulation, accelerate the natural breakdown of soft tissue. Government and legislative descriptions report processing times ranging from several hours to under 24 hours, depending on equipment and conditions.
4. Liquid handling. The remaining liquid, called hydrolysate, is not simply poured away. California’s regulatory reference sheet points to the need for authorization from the public agency that provides sewer collection and a state-licensed biomaterials handler in the handling of hydrolysate.
5. Bone processing. The bone fragments are rinsed and dried, then mechanically processed into a fine, pale powder.
6. Return to the family. The remains are placed in the urn or temporary container you have chosen.

One common worry is worth answering plainly. Because the body is broken down in water, some families assume remains might be combined with others. California law prohibits processing more than one person in the same chamber without express written permission, and hydrolyzed remains must be kept from commingling. You can always ask any provider how they label, track, and return remains.

Aquamation and flame cremation side by side

The outcome you hold in your hands is similar. The path to it is different.

One scholarly source reports that aquamation uses approximately 10% of the energy of flame cremation, and another reports about 80% less carbon dioxide. These are estimates from cited literature, not guarantees for every provider.

California law also regulates the custody, containers, and permits for hydrolyzed remains alongside cremated remains in several provisions, so the paperwork will feel familiar.

Is aquamation really more eco-friendly?

For many families in La Jolla, North Park, and Pacific Beach, this is the heart of the question. The honest answer is: often, in the burning step, yes. But no single method is automatically “green.”

A 2017 life-cycle assessment of funerals by Keijzer and colleagues found that the environmental impact is largely determined by secondary processes, such as the casket or container, transportation, and land use. So if lower impact matters to you, think about the whole picture:

• Choose a simple, natural-fiber covering rather than an elaborate casket.
• Keep travel in mind if a ceremony will bring many people from far away.
• Ask how the provider handles the liquid hydrolysate.
• Consider a keepsake or a biodegradable urn for scattering or burial.

If you are weighing other low-impact options, we also offer Natural Burial at $3,995. Natural Organic Reduction, which transforms the body into soil, is $10,995. We are glad to talk through how each compares, with no pressure toward any of them.

What California requires

Aquamation has been part of California law since July 1, 2020, and it is regulated as hydrolysis, not ordinary fire cremation. Providers must follow specific rules. In practice, that means a licensed provider:

• Uses written authorization and contracts.
• Maintains identification records.
• Uses an approved hydrolysis facility.
• Arranges lawful handling of the liquid.

These are described in the Health and Safety Code provisions on funeral and cremation practice. Ask your provider to explain each step before you sign anything. That is a reasonable request, and we welcome it.

Aquamation is also not available everywhere in the country. State law, local wastewater requirements, licensing, and facility availability all decide whether a provider can offer it. If you have relatives in another state, check before assuming the same option exists there.

Keeping, scattering, and sharing remains

California allows remains to be removed in a durable container and kept at a residence with the proper permission. A keepsake urn is legally defined as a closed, durable container holding no more than 1 cubic centimeter of remains, and a separate disposition permit is required for each one. If several family members would like a small portion, tell your funeral director early so the paperwork is handled properly.

For scattering, see our guides to scattering ashes in San Diego and California ash scattering laws. If you are not ready to decide, five safe ways to handle ashes while you decide may help.

Questions to settle before you choose

These matter more than they might seem:

• Implants and devices. Tell the funeral director about pacemakers, joint replacements, and other implants. California requirements address items not processed with the remains, and facility procedures may differ.
• Jewelry and keepsakes. Say what your family wants returned.
• Timing. Ask how long the process takes at the facility being used and when remains will be ready.
• Faith and family wishes. Some traditions have views on cremation or hydrolysis. If you are unsure, speak with your clergy member or spiritual advisor first.
• The service itself. A viewing, a gathering, military honors, or no event at all are choices you make separately from the method.

That last point is worth holding onto. Scholarship on this topic emphasizes that aquamation produces a familiar memorial outcome despite a very different method, so the technical process and the service experience can be decided apart.

Remembering, whatever method you choose

Many families find that the method is the smaller decision, and remembrance is the larger one. Some hold a memorial weeks later, when out-of-town relatives can travel. Our guide to cremation with a memorial service walks through that. Others add a faith-based act of remembrance of their own. For example, some Muslim families look into a remote Umrah performed on behalf of a loved one who has died, and ask their imam or scholar about what is appropriate for their circumstances.

Our perspective on aquamation

We are an independent, family-owned funeral home, and we hear the same quiet question again and again: “Is this respectful?” Our answer is yes. Aquamation treats a person with the same care at every step, and the family receives remains and a return of personal effects, just as they would with any other choice.

What we try to do is explain it without pressure. We would rather you understand the process and the law than choose it because it sounds modern. We also think families deserve to see prices before they call, so our pricing is published and all-inclusive. If aquamation is not the right fit, we will say so and help you with direct cremation, burial, or another option that is.

Our team is bilingual, so Spanish-speaking families across San Diego County, from Chula Vista to National City to Logan Heights, can ask every question in their own language. Veteran families can also ask us about VA burial benefits paperwork, which we coordinate at no additional charge.

— Steve Olsher

Aquamation at Bravo Family Mortuary

Our Direct Water Cremation (alkaline hydrolysis) is $4,200. You can see the full list of our services and what each includes on our pricing page, or read our overview of aqua cremation in San Diego. Other choices include a Witness Cremation at $595 and a Final Farewell Private Viewing at $295. A few fees are worth knowing about up front: mileage beyond 30 miles is $5 per mile, and a weekend and holiday services surcharge is $695.

You can complete arrangements entirely online through our secure PartingPros portal, any hour of the day, with no in-person visit required. If you would rather talk, we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we serve all of San Diego County from 4427 Rainier Ave. If you are planning ahead, our pre-planning page explains how to begin. We are here whenever you are ready.

Frequently asked questions

Is aquamation the same as water cremation?

Yes. Aquamation, water cremation, and alkaline hydrolysis all describe the same water-based process. Funeral professionals and California law usually say hydrolysis, while families more often say water cremation.

Is aquamation legal in California?

Yes. California’s statutory definition of alkaline hydrolysis became operative on July 1, 2020. Providers must meet requirements for facilities, contracts, training, recordkeeping, and wastewater handling.

Do you receive ashes after aquamation?

You receive processed bone fragments in the form of a fine powder. They can be placed in an urn, scattered where the law permits, buried, or kept at home in a durable container with the proper permission. Ask your funeral director about the permit for keepsake urns if you want to divide the remains.

Can we still have a funeral or memorial service?

Yes. A viewing, a memorial, a celebration of life, and military honors are all separate choices from the method. Many families hold a gathering later, once everyone can be there.

What happens to the liquid after the process?

California requires authorization from the public agency that provides sewer collection, and a state-licensed biomaterials handler is involved in handling hydrolysate. Ask any provider to explain exactly how they manage it before you sign.

Sources

• California Health and Safety Code, Division 7, Part 1, Chapter 1
• California Health and Safety Code, Division 7, Part 1, Chapter 2
• California Health and Safety Code section 7054.6
• California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau code reference sheet
• Washington Administrative Code, Chapter 308-47
• Montana Legislature, HJ 27 background paper (2026)
• Hofstra Law, Alkaline Hydrolysis
• Cleveland State Law Review, sustainable means of final disposition
• Keijzer et al., life cycle assessment of funerals (2017)

Recommended

• Aqua Cremation San Diego | Water Cremation
• Aqua Cremation San Diego | Water Cremation
• What Is Aqua Cremation? Guide for San Diego Families