What is a Water Cremation?

As Scotland prepares to be the first country of the UK nations to approve water cremations, Funeral Director Amanda-Louise shares her views following an article in a national newspaper ‘Would YOU liquify your dead loved ones to help the planet?’

What is a Water Cremation?

Water cremation is the gentle process of returning the body to ashes using water and a small amount of alkali-based solution to speedup the natural process the body goes through at the end of life. This is in contrast to the flame furnace cremations that we have in the UK where the body is cremated into ashes.

During the water cremation, the body is first placed in a coffin or shroud made from biodegradable materials before being carefully placed in the water crematoria,where over a short amount of time the body returns to its basic organic elements.Its understood the process takes around 90 minutes.

Once the water process is complete, families receive the ashes to treasure as they wish,in the same way they would with a traditional flame cremation. The ‘wastewater’is disposed of through the normal sewer system or could be used to fertilize plants.

Our understanding is its proven to have the lowest overall impact on the environment of all mainstream flame cremations, so its likely to appeal of those who are looking for greener solutions of less impact on the climate.

Water cremation systems, or known as resomation or aquamation,is commonly used in the US, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands. It was an option chosen by the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

With testing currently ongoing in the UK looking into drainage, this option may be available in the future. Whilst there is no UK law against this process, subject to compliance of health and safety and environmental regulations, there is a cost implication for building such facilities.

We will let you know if and when this option becomes available in Somerset and Devon, as an end of life funeral option to our local communities.