The pet water cremation process in more detail

1.     Each body is placed in its own compartment in a stainless-steel basket within the alkaline hydrolysis machine. Within the basket is a modifiable arrangement of dividers, adjusting compartment size for different sized animals.

2.     The machine is sealed and filled with water (95%) and alkali (5%). The mixture is then heated and circulated.

3.     The alkaline mixture reduces soft tissue to liquid, leaving porous bone fragments.

4.     Liquids are transferred to the heat exchanger vessel, leaving the bones in each basket/divider.

5.     In the heat exchanger vessel, the liquid is cooled and neutralised. Simultaneously, inside the heat exchanger, the next batch of water and alkali is heated – saving huge amounts of time and energy. And costs.

6.     The cooled and neutralised liquid is now suitable for enriching garden or farm land, or safe for waste-water disposal.

7.     The bones are removed from the basket/divider, rinsed and dried. They’re then ground into ashes, and returned to the owner. See The bone processor below.

The machines come in two sizes

The smaller machine allows for up to 7 spaces in a basket. That’s the number of chambers available if all dividers are inserted – each 20 x 37 cm.  It can be run on 240 volt or 3 phase 415 volt power.

The larger machine has up to 14 spaces, in two baskets of 7.  Again, dividers mean you can adjust to suit the size of the pet.  This machine runs on 3 phase 415 volt power.

For smaller animals such as birds or rodents, small stainless-steel boxes are available. They can be stacked inside the basket chambers.

The bone processor

It’s a robust stainless-steel chamber with a high speed blade that reduces the bones to ash.  It’s designed to sit on a standard table or bench, and plugs into a standard single phase power socket.

It comes with a funnel and connection for a vacuum to collect dust as the chamber is emptied.

Water Cremation Systems machines are the second generation

Even the first-generation water cremation machines were an immediate and obvious improvement on the traditional flame cremation. The most obvious improvement was stopping all those pollutants going into the air.  

The second-generation machines are a further hugely significant improvement. They use even less energy. They use even less water - 65% less. And the process takes less than half the time.  Also, it operates at a much lower and safer temperatures, doing away with the need for high-pressure boilers.

Optimal efficiency

We use the highest quality insulated stainless-steel, heating elements and pumps. Every aspect of our water cremation system is designed for time, energy and resource efficiency. Our machines reduce waste, energy consumption and costs. 

The moveable stainless-steel dividers mean that the animal bodies are separated from each other. Whether you take on the 7 space or the 14 space machine, each animal is separated from the other. That’s peace of mind for pet owners.  

The heat exchanger next to the machine is a beautiful piece of design. Each batch of hot waste liquid from the machine is cooled by heating up new cold water for the next batch. That creates enormous energy and time savings.  

That’s efficiency.

Our machine for human water cremation

It’s a safe non-pressurized machine, with electrically operated sealing lid and basket lift.  It operates on the same 2nd generation water system as the pet machines. There are currently 2 of these machines opperating in Australia. 

It runs on 3 phase 415 volt power. 

Inevitably, water cremation for humans will become legal in New Zealand.  We suspect that flame cremation will be banned because of the air pollution it produces. 

Human water cremation is an ancient practice known to Maori. The bodies of chiefs or high-ranking individuals were sometimes immersed in hot alkaline springs, with their bones collected a year later. The process has been referred to as whakapapa kōmako (literally ancestor immersion). It was a way to connect the spiritual and natural worlds.