Water Cremation
A gentle, water-based cremation alternative. Now available in Colorado.
Cremation with a low environmental impact.
Using 90% less energy and with 10x less C02 emissions, water cremation is the clear environmental choice. A single flame cremation produces an average of 534.6 pounds of carbon dioxide, not to mention the toxic emissions from mercury or silver dental fillings. Any implants, including artificial joints, pacemakers, or fillings, can be recycled safely after the process is completed.
Arrange now if a death has occurred or is near.
Plan ahead for the future.
How the Water Cremation Process Works
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Arrange with Our Specialists
Schedule a virtual or in-person arrangement to complete paperwork. Typically this takes less than an hour.
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Water Cremation Takes Place
Water cremation is scheduled along with any viewings or other ceremonies. This all happens at our Denver facility.
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Tree Tea Applied to Colorado Lands
The water left from the water cremation is applied to the land across various Colorado landscapes.
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Get Ashes or Stones Returned
Choose whether you’d like your loved one’s skeletal remains (ashes) returned in an urn or solidified into stones.
Service Area for Water Cremation
We serve families all over the state of Colorado. Transportation within 30 miles of Be a Tree Cremation is included in all packages and is $2.80 per mile outside of that radius. Out-of-state transportation is quoted upon need. See pricing & packages >
Watch More About Water Cremation
Here are a few short videos with more information on our process.
Where Tree Tea is Returned to the Land
Frequently Asked Questions
What is water cremation?
Water cremation, also known as alkaline hydrolysis or aquamation , is a gentle process that uses 95% water and 5% alkali (a chemical often used in liquid soaps) combined with heat to mimic the natural decomposition process.
Do I still get ashes returned?
Yes! Ashes from any cremation, fire or water, consist of mostly bone material. The ashes returned are extremely similar to the ashes from a flame cremation, but they tend to be whiter in color. In fact, the process results in up to 20% more ashes. The ashes (also known as cremated remains) result from the skeletal remains left after the process.
Does the process use acid?
No. This is a common misconception. Alkali (also known as lye, potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide) is a basic solution rather than an acidic solution. In water cremation, it combines with the water and mimics the natural decomposition process in an accelerated fashion. Alkali is safe when used properly and can be found in many cleaning products and even some foods.
What happens to the remaining water?
The liquid byproduct of water cremation is a nontoxic solution of amino acids, peptides, sugars, and soap, which makes a wonderful fertilizer. We call this liquid Tree Tea™. Families may take some Tree Tea™ home to water trees and plants in their personal gardens. Any remaining will be used on land across various Colorado properties ranging from grasslands to forest.
Who is using water cremation today?
Water cremation got its start for human use in medical institutions including UCLA, The Univerity of Florida, and the Mayo Clinic. Water cremation has been legalized in many states including California, Washington, Oregon, and Minnesota. It’s been approved in Colorado since 2011 and Be a Tree Cremation is one of the first in the state to offer the process. It’s under consideration in several other states. When you consider that water cremation is gentler on the body and the earth, the choice is clear. See the map below for a list of other providers offering water cremation.
What families are saying about using water cremation with us
Where is water cremation legal?
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Legalized in Alabama in 2017
Statute added alkaline hydrolysis to its definition of cremation
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No legislation passed
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Legalized in Arizona in 2020
HB 2179
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No legislation passed
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Legalized in 2017 in California
7611.9 of the California Business and Professions Code went into effect in 2020
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Legalized in 2011 in Colorado
Colorado Statutes § 12-54-102 changed the definition of cremation
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Passed in 2026
Senate Bill No. 142
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No legislation passed
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Legalized in 2010
Florida Statutes § 497.005 expanded the definition of “cremation”
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Legalized in 2012
Ga. Code Ann. 43-18-1 changed the state’s definition of cremation
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Legalized in 2022
HB 1894 signed into law
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Legalized in 2014
Senate Commerce & Human Resources Committee amended the Rules of the State Board of Morticians
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Legalized in 2012
410 ILCS § 18/5 changed the state’s definition of cremation to include the process
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No legislation passed
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Legalized in 2011
Kansas Statutes § 65-1760 expanded its definition of cremation to include other methods than just “direct exposure to intense heat and flame”
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21RS HB 346 is pending
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No Legislation passed
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Legalized in Maine in 2009
Attorney General approved a new definition of cremation in the Maine Rules for Establishment and Operation of Crematoria
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Legalized in Maryland in 2010
Maryland Business Regulation Code § 5-101 changed the definition of cremation to include processes other than heat and flame
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Bill S.1391 is under consideration
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No Legislation passed
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Legalized in Minnesota in 2003
Process was given licensing regulations and requirements
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No legislation passed
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20 CSR 2120-2.071 considers a legal final disposition method as it falls within the state’s definition of “cremation”
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No legislation passed
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No legislation passed
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Legalized in Nevada in 2017
Assembly Bill 205 included a definition of alkaline hydrolysis
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Legalized in New Hampshire in 2006 and repealed in 2008. 2013 bill failed
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No legislation passed
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No legislation passed
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No legislation passed
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Legalized in 2018
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-210.136
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House Bill 1294 was proposed in 2017
Status is unknown
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No legislation passed
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No laws or regulations about alkaline hydrolysis
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Legalized in 2009
Oregon Revised Statutes § 692.010(4) changed its definition of “final disposition” to include the dissolution of human remains
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Senate Bill 810 is under consideration
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No legislation passed
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No legislation passed
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No legislation passed
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Legalized in 2021
Tennessee SB931
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Senate Bill 105 is under consideration
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Legalized in 2018
H.B. 121
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Legalized in 2014
26 V.S.A. 21 § 1211
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Legalized in 2023
Senate Bill 1487
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Legalized in 2020
RCW 68.50.110
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No legislation passed
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Legalized in 2022
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Legalized in 2014
Wyoming Statutes § 33-16-502 changed the Funeral Services Practitioners Act in 2014 to include “chemical disposition”
Arrange now if a death has occurred or is near.
Plan ahead for the future.
Water cremation is a gentle, earth-friendly choice.
You can learn more about water cremation in the articles linked below. Your final interaction with the earth can be gentle and meaningful.
Additional reading
Arrange now if a death has occurred or is near.
Plan ahead for the future.
Be a Tree Cremation, a nature-centric Water Cremation facility in Denver, now offers full-electric transportation from people’s place of death and into the care of Be a Tree.