An Australian company is claiming to be the first in the world to offer a watery grave.

The new service will present bereaved families with an alternative to burial or cremation that involves essentially dissolving a body in hot water.

A newly registered business, Aquamation Industries, aims to appeal to people who want to eliminate the 200 or so kilograms of greenhouse gases associated with a typical cremation. The first ''aquamation'' unit is expected to be declared operational on the Gold Coast today.

''People have been very receptive to the idea of being farewelled like this, instead of being burnt in a crematorium,'' the company's principal, John Humphries, said. ''We have more than 20 units on order.''

Each unit consists of a stainless-steel tube filled with potassium-enriched water. After the body is placed inside, it is sealed, the water is heated to 93 degrees and swirled around for four hours.