Frequently Asked Questions

Aquamation is a method of after-life care for pets. The scientific name for this water-based process is alkaline hydrolysis. It's the same process that occurs naturally when a body is laid to rest in the soil, just gently accelerated using a combination of water flow, temperature and alkalinity.

Your pet is respectfully placed in a stainless steel vessel. Alkali is added based on your pet's individual characteristics and the vessel fills with water. The solution, about 95% water and 5% alkali, is heated to 200 to 300°F and gently circulated for the entire process.

At the end, all organic material is broken down to its smallest building blocks, with no DNA or RNA remaining. The sterile process water is released for recycling and the vessel performs a fresh water rinse. When the process is complete, only the inorganic bone minerals remain. These are processed into a fine powder and returned to you in an urn, the same final step used with flame cremation.

The process takes about 20 to 24 hours at around 200°F. For comparison, a flame cremation takes 1 to 3 hours at 1,600 to 1,800°F.

A common misconception is that the alkali does the work, when it's actually the water. A hydrolysis reaction is any reaction where bonds are broken apart by the insertion of water molecules. Adding a base creates an alkaline environment, which changes how the water molecules behave, causing them to dissociate into hydrogen and hydroxide ions. The solution is only 5% alkali and 95% water.

The system's design, the continuous flow of the solution and the heat all matter just as much as the chemistry. A body is roughly 65% water to begin with, along with fat, protein, minerals and carbohydrates. During the process, fats are reduced to salts, protein to amino acids and small peptides and carbohydrates to sugars, breaking everything down into its most basic building blocks.

The modern technology has been used by universities and the scientific industry for over 25 years. It's been used for human bodies donated to medical science since 1995. The first pet aquamation facility opened in 2007 and the first funeral home adopted the technology in 2011.

Yes, and typically 20 to 30% more than you'd receive from a flame cremation. At the end of the process, the mineral remains of the bones resemble skeletal remains and are processed into a powder for placement in an urn, the same processing step used after flame cremation.

Yes, completely. Alkaline hydrolysis is a proven sterilization process, so the remains are free of pathogens and disease.

Anything you could do with ashes from a flame cremation. Many families keep the urn at home, bury it or place it in a columbarium. There are also memorial products like hand-blown glass pieces, ceramic art, memorial plantings and more. Some families choose to scatter some or all of the remains in a meaningful place.

Yes, in a few ways. Ashes from a flame cremation include mineral remains from the bone along with residue from anything else present during the process. Aquamation ashes contain only the mineral remains from the bone.

The color differs too. Flame cremation ash is typically gray from carbon discoloration, while aquamation ash ranges from white to tan, though both processes can show some natural variation. The texture is different as well: flame cremation ash tends to be made up of chippy bone fragments, while aquamation ash is a smooth, consistent powder and there's 20 to 30% more of it.

Flame cremation happens at 1,600 to 1,800°F with the remains in direct contact with fire and some of the mineral remains are lost through the exhaust. Aquamation happens at around 200°F with no flame at all, using a water flow similar to a gentle stream. It's much gentler on the final mineral remains, which is why more ash is left at the end.

We have a comfortable space where you're welcome to say your goodbyes to your pet before the process begins.

No. Unlike flame cremation, no box or container is required for the process. If you'd like, we can discuss memorial shroud options, but they're never necessary, just available if it feels right for your family.

Cost varies based on your pet's weight and any keepsakes you'd like to add. Aquamation is comparable in price to flame cremation for pets.

Families tell us they're grateful to have a choice and that they appreciate a process that doesn't use fire or flame. Many value receiving 20 to 30% more of their pet's ashes back, see it as a gentler option than flame-based cremation and care about its smaller environmental impact.

Yes. Aquamation releases no direct emissions of greenhouse gases or mercury into the atmosphere and it doesn't burn any fossil fuels. It's more than 90% more energy efficient than flame cremation, with about 1/10th the carbon footprint.

The water is returned to the ecosystem through the normal wastewater treatment system, the same way funeral homes handle water throughout the embalming process. The process produces a completely sterile solution of amino acids, sugars, nutrients, salts and soap, the natural byproducts of decomposition.

No. With flame cremation, which operates at 1,600 to 1,800°F, mercury in dental fillings can vaporize and release into the air. Mercury vaporizes at around 674°F, while aquamation uses much lower temperatures of 200 to 300°F. The mercury stays intact and bound in the teeth, which are later recycled through an EPA-approved dental amalgam handler, so release into the environment is completely prevented.