Leaf & Water Expands Water Cremation Access Across the Northeast
Brooklyn-based company uses its Vermont water cremation facility to give families across 11 Northeastern states access
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Brooklyn, NY, Oct. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leaf & Water is expanding access to water cremation across an 11-state service area in the Northeast, giving families throughout the region a way to choose this environmentally conscious disposition method even when it is not locally available.
Water cremation unit at Leaf & Water Vermont facility
Also known as alkaline hydrolysis or aquamation, water cremation uses water, heat, and alkalinity rather than fire to cremate remains after death. Advocates point to significantly lower carbon emissions and energy consumption than flame cremation, as well as eliminating the airborne mercury emissions associated with conventional cremation.
The process has seen growing adoption nationally among environmentally conscious consumers and progressive funeral providers. Meanwhile, legal restrictions, infrastructure limitations, and slow industry adoption delayed widespread access throughout most of the Northeast for years. As a result, while other parts of the United States have had the option for some time, access in the Northeast has remained limited until now.
Industry observers say the Northeast’s delayed adoption reflects broader historical trends within the funeral profession, where new disposition technologies often emerge first in Western states before gradually moving East.
Leaf & Water’s regional service model was designed to bridge those gaps. Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the company operates its water cremation facility out of Bennington, Vermont, and serves families in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland.
“This isn’t just about a new cremation method,” said Candis Best, Founder and CEO of Leaf & Water. “It reflects a generational shift in what families expect from funeral care — transparency, environmental responsibility, and meaningful choice.”
Leaf & Water coordinates transportation and disposition across state lines in accordance with applicable state requirements. Depending on location and circumstances, families can make arrangements directly with Leaf & Water or access its water cremation services through any licensed funeral home in their area.
“The Northeast was the last region of the country where access to water cremation required extensive prior knowledge and complex coordination because of the limited number of states where the practice is legal,” said Best. “Our goal is to move past the question of whether water cremation is available in a family’s state and ensure that it is easily accessible to that family.”
The regional approach is significant because legalization and access are not the same. A disposition method can be legally recognized in a state while remaining difficult to obtain because no nearby provider offers it. However, families in states where the process is not performed or legally available can still choose water cremation by arranging lawful transportation to a provider in another state, if necessary. That’s where Leaf & Water comes in.
Leaf & Water’s model separates access from local facility availability, creating a first-of-its-kind regional disposition service through which families and funeral homes can arrange water cremation even if it’s not yet legal in their state or when no dedicated facility operates nearby.
The company also works with funeral directors associations, senior living communities, hospice programs, and other organizations throughout the Northeast to increase public awareness of water cremation and make the option easier to incorporate into advance planning and end-of-life arrangements.
“Families need to learn about all of their disposition options before a death occurs, not discover during a crisis that geography has limited their choices,” Best said. “Creating regional access gives more people the opportunity to decide for themselves whether water cremation reflects their environmental priorities, values, and wishes. Most families don’t want to set the remains of their loved one on fire. They did it because, if they didn’t want burial, they didn’t have a choice. Now they do.”
About Leaf & Water
Leaf & Water provides water cremation services, also known as alkaline hydrolysis or aquamation. Headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, the company operates a dedicated water cremation facility in Bennington, Vermont, and serves families and funeral homes throughout an 11-state Northeastern service area, offering a gentler, environmentally conscious alternative to flame cremation and traditional burial. Leaf & Water also provides public and professional education about flameless disposition alternatives.
Candis Best, JD, MBA, Ph.D. – Leaf & Water Founder and CEO
Press Inquiries
Candis Best
info [at] leafandwatercremation.com
(347) 782-2503
https://leafandwatercremation.com
928 Fulton Street, Suite 152
Brooklyn, NY 11238
A video accompanying this announcement is available here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=hPNxPNvfiH0
