A gentle, water-based cremation alternative now available in Coeur d’Alene

Dealing with the death of a loved one can be hard on families. In the past, there were 2 options: Burial or Flame Cremation. Thanks to new technology at English Funeral Chapel, the cremation process can be a more gentle experience that is more environmentally friendly.

In 2018, owners Eric & Wendy English were attending an industry conference to learn more about Alkaline Hydrolysis - also known as Water Cremation or Aquamation. Aquamation is a form of cremation that uses water instead of fire to reduce the body down to only the inorganic bone minerals. After a year’s research, they decided it was something they should bring to Idaho.

With Aquamation, the body is placed in a stainless steel vessel and a combination of gentle water flow, heat, pressure and alkalinity are used to accelerate the natural process of tissue hydrolysis. The process uses 95% water and 5 percent alkali, a combination of potassium hydroxide and sodium.

At the end of the process, all material is broken down and there is no DNA or RNA remaining. The sterile water is released for recycling and land application.

With Aquamation, there are no direct emissions of harmful greenhouse gasses or mercury into the atmosphere. This process does not burn any fossil fuels. It is very energy efficient - greater than 90% energy savings compared to flame cremation, with 1/10th of the carbon footprint. Because Aquamation uses electricity. It will move into the future as our society improves infrastructure for cleaner energy sources - like wind, water, and solar energy.

“One of the reasons we continued to look into it is that it is very environmentally friendly,” English said. “We are committed to the environment and to providing green options to the families we serve.”

In 2019, English began the process to bring Aquamation to Coeur d’Alene. Since then the funeral chapel in Coeur d’Alene has been updated to accommodate the new equipment, ordered the machine, and obtained licensing and permits from local and state entities and had the required inspections. English is now ready to move forward with offering Aquamation as an option.

English Funeral Chapel is the only funeral home in Idaho to offer Aquamation. The process is only now catching on in the funeral industry. For the past 20 years, organizations like the Mayo Clinic and UCLA Medical School have used alkaline hydrolysis for the disposition of bodies donated to medical science.

For more information about English Funeral Chapel and Aquamation, call 208-664-3143 or visit englishfuneralchapel.com.