Water cremation, also called aquamation or alkaline hydrolysis, typically costs between $1,500 and $3,200, with a national average around $2,500. That’s roughly $500 to $900 more than traditional flame cremation, which averages about $1,600. The price gap is shrinking as more facilities open, but availability remains the biggest factor in what you’ll actually pay.
How Water Cremation Compares to Flame Cremation
Traditional flame cremation ranges from $1,100 to $2,000 in most markets. Water cremation runs $1,295 to $4,600, though most families pay somewhere in the middle of that range. The higher ceiling reflects the limited number of providers: in areas with only one facility offering the service, prices tend to sit at the upper end. In more competitive markets like California, Colorado, and Florida, prices cluster closer to the $2,000 to $2,500 range.
The equipment itself explains part of the markup. A water cremation unit costs $180,000 to $270,000, compared to about $130,000 for a traditional cremation retort. Facilities pass some of that capital cost along to families, especially in the early years of operation. Both options remain significantly less expensive than traditional burial, which averages over $7,000 before the cost of a cemetery plot.
What’s Included in the Price
A standard water cremation package typically covers the funeral director’s basic services, transportation of the body (within a 25- to 50-mile radius), the aquamation process, a simple urn, a few certified death certificates, and return of the remains. This is comparable to what a flame cremation package includes.
Common add-on costs to watch for:
- Transportation beyond the included radius: $2 to $4 per mile
- Upgraded urns: starting around $50 and going much higher
- Additional death certificates: $10 to $25 each
- Memorial services or viewings: priced separately, just as with any cremation
One detail worth knowing: water cremation produces about 20% more remains than flame cremation. The bone fragments returned to the family are white rather than gray, and there’s more volume overall. If you’re choosing an urn, you may need a slightly larger one than you’d pick for traditional cremation.
How the Process Works
The body is placed in a pressurized steel chamber filled with water and an alkaline solution. The chamber heats to between 199 and 302 degrees Fahrenheit, using a combination of warm water, gentle agitation, and the alkaline chemicals to break down soft tissue. What remains are bone fragments and a sterile liquid called effluent, which is released into the wastewater system (it’s essentially a nutrient-rich, pH-neutral water).
The process takes 3 to 16 hours depending on the equipment and body size. That’s longer than flame cremation, which typically finishes in 2 to 3 hours, but it happens at much lower temperatures. The bone fragments are then dried and processed into a fine powder, similar to what families receive after traditional cremation.
The Environmental Case
Environmental concerns are the main reason families choose water cremation despite the higher cost. The carbon footprint is roughly one-tenth that of flame cremation. For context, a single traditional cremation produces an average of 535 pounds of carbon dioxide and uses about the same energy as burning two tanks of gas in an average car. Water cremation eliminates the combustion entirely, relying on heated water instead of 1,800-degree flames.
There are no smokestack emissions, no mercury released from dental fillings, and no particulate matter entering the air. The process also avoids the land use and embalming chemicals associated with traditional burial. For families who want a lower environmental impact without choosing a full green burial, water cremation sits in a practical middle ground.
Where It’s Available
Water cremation is legal in 27 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Virginia has legislation pending.
Legal status doesn’t guarantee access, though. Many of these states have no operating facilities even though the law permits the process. This is the practical hurdle most families run into. You may need to arrange transportation to a facility in another city or even another state, which adds to the total cost. Before committing, it’s worth calling facilities directly to confirm availability, turnaround time, and whether their quoted price includes transportation from your area.
Why Prices Vary So Much
The wide cost range, from roughly $1,300 to over $4,000, comes down to three factors: geography, competition, and how new the local facility is. Urban areas with multiple providers tend to price more competitively. Rural areas or states where only one or two facilities exist can charge a premium simply because there’s no alternative nearby.
Facilities that have been operating for several years have already recouped some of their equipment investment and can price more aggressively. Newer operations are still paying off machines that cost a quarter of a million dollars. As the number of providers grows, prices are expected to continue moving downward. In the meantime, if cost is your primary concern, it’s worth comparing quotes from multiple facilities, including those in neighboring states that might offer lower rates even after factoring in transportation.