Water cremation in Ohio — the process legally called alkaline hydrolysis — has been moving toward formal recognition under the state’s existing crematory laws. House Bill 699, introduced in the 135th General Assembly, was drafted to add alkaline hydrolysis and natural organic reduction to the methods of final disposition permitted under Chapter 4717 of the Ohio Revised Code.1Ohio General Assembly. Ohio House Bill 699 – 135th General Assembly Because the law in this area is still evolving, anyone planning to use the service should confirm current availability with an Ohio funeral provider before committing.
Any facility offering the service in Ohio must hold a crematory license issued by the Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, and each person operating the equipment needs a separate crematory operator permit.2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4717.13 – Prohibited Acts The regulatory structure is the same one that governs traditional flame cremation.
How the Process Works
The body is placed inside a stainless steel pressure vessel. A solution of roughly 95 percent water and 5 percent alkali — either potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide — fills the chamber. That mixture is heated to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit under elevated pressure, which keeps the liquid from boiling and lets the chemical reaction break down soft tissue.
A full cycle runs anywhere from three to sixteen hours, depending on the equipment and the size of the individual. When it finishes, the organic material has dissolved into a sterile liquid containing salts, sugars, amino acids, and peptides. No DNA remains. The only solids left are calcium phosphate bone fragments, which are rinsed, dried, and processed into a fine powder for the family. The liquid is discharged into the municipal wastewater system and handled like any other effluent.3Cremation Association of North America. Alkaline Hydrolysis
What Can Go Into the Chamber
Because this is a chemical process rather than a combustion one, the materials placed in the vessel with the body matter. Protein-based fabrics like silk, wool, and leather dissolve along with the body. Cotton does not, and it should not be used as a shroud or container lining.4Cremation Association of North America. Statement on Alkaline Hydrolysis
Medical implants — pacemakers, joint replacements, and similar devices — should be identified on the authorization form. The facility will advise whether specific items need to be removed before the cycle. The concern here is less about explosive rupture (as with a pacemaker in a flame retort) and more about proper handling of non-organic material left in the vessel.
What the Family Receives
The remains returned to the family look different from those produced by flame cremation. The powder is brighter white and finer in texture than gray ash from a traditional retort, and the total volume is roughly 20 percent greater. That volume difference is worth knowing when choosing an urn.
Compared with flame cremation, alkaline hydrolysis produces only 10 to 15 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions, with no direct combustion or airborne particulate. Mercury from dental amalgam fillings, which vaporizes during flame cremation, stays contained in the vessel and can be recovered. The liquid byproduct is sterile and compatible with standard wastewater treatment.3Cremation Association of North America. Alkaline Hydrolysis
Who Signs the Authorization
Before any cremation proceeds in Ohio, the crematory needs a signed authorization form from whoever holds the legal right of disposition. If the deceased executed a written declaration during their lifetime assigning that authority to a specific representative, that representative comes first.5Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 2108.70 – Assignment of Rights Regarding Disposition of Remains Without a written designation, Ohio law sets a priority order: surviving spouse first, then adult children, then surviving parents, then siblings.6Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 2108.81 – Right of Disposition – No Declaration of Assignment
The authorization form does more than grant permission. It specifies whether the body remains in its container during the process, whether dental gold or other items may be removed, and what type of urn should receive the remains. Ohio law prohibits a crematory from processing more than one individual in the same chamber at once unless each authorization form specifically allows it.7Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4717.26 – Procedure for Cremation
A certified death certificate must be filed with the local registrar to obtain a burial-transit permit, and the funeral director usually handles that filing. If the body has not been embalmed and is held for eight hours or more before the process begins, the facility is required to keep it in refrigerated storage.7Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4717.26 – Procedure for Cremation
What It Costs
Water cremation sits between flame cremation and traditional burial on price. As of 2025, a direct water cremation package runs roughly $1,295 to $4,600 nationally, averaging around $2,500. Flame cremation averages closer to $1,500. A traditional burial with casket, vault, and cemetery plot can reach $7,000 or more. The higher cost of alkaline hydrolysis reflects the specialized pressure vessels — expensive to manufacture, install, and maintain — and the smaller number of facilities offering the service, which limits price competition.
Standard life insurance, including final expense and whole life policies, pays a lump-sum death benefit that the beneficiary can spend on any type of disposition. No policy restriction applies based on the method chosen. What matters is having enough coverage and a named beneficiary who can access the money quickly enough to pay the provider. Pre-planning and pre-paying with a funeral home that offers the service is one way to lock in the price and take that pressure off survivors.
Final Disposition of the Remains
Once the family has the processed remains, Ohio gives broad flexibility on what happens next. The statute allows interment in a cemetery grave, crypt, or columbarium niche; scattering in a memorial garden, at sea, by air, or at designated scattering grounds; or disposition “in any other lawful manner,” which in practice includes keeping the urn at home.8Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4717.27 – Disposing of Cremated Remains If the family does not claim the remains within a set period, the crematory or funeral home may scatter or inter them at its discretion using any of those same methods.
Scattering on Land
Ohio permits scattering on private property with the landowner’s permission. Rules on public land vary by jurisdiction — city parks, county reserves, and state lands each set their own policies, and some prohibit scattering outright while others require a permit or fee. Contact the managing agency before scattering on public property. National Parks handle requests park by park, with many requiring a special use permit and restricting scattering to undeveloped areas away from trails and water sources. A handful of National Parks no longer allow the practice at all.
Scattering at Sea
Federal EPA regulations govern scattering in ocean waters. Cremated remains must be scattered at least three nautical miles from the nearest land, and they are exempt from the depth requirements that apply to full-body burial at sea. Whoever performs the scattering must notify the EPA Regional Administrator within 30 days.9eCFR. 40 CFR 229.1 – Burial at Sea Ohio’s inland rivers and lakes do not require a state permit for scattering, but the EPA prohibits scattering at beaches or wading pools.