Nalco Names Flitman Executive Vice President

NAPERVILLE, Ill., July 22, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Nalco Company (NYSE:NLC),
the leading global provider of integrated water treatment and process
improvement services, chemicals and equipment programs for industrial and
institutional applications, announced today that, effective Aug. 19, David E.
Flitman will join the Company as Executive Vice President of Nalco and President
of Nalco's Industrial and Institutional Services Division.

Mr. Flitman is currently President of Allegheny Power, the energy delivery arm
of Allegheny Energy Inc. (NYSE:AYE), an investor-owned utility providing
electricity to more than 1.5 million customers in four states. Allegheny Power
has 2,600 employees and annual revenues of nearly $3 billion. Prior to joining
Allegheny in 2005, he gained broad cross-functional and global experience in a
variety of leadership positions during a nearly 20-year career at DuPont, where
he most recently served as Global Business Director for the Nonwovens Business
Group. Mr. Flitman, 44, has a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from Purdue
University.

Also effective Aug. 19, Mary Kay Kaufmann will be named Group Vice President,
Chief Marketing Officer and Louis L. Loosbrock will be named Group Vice
President, Business Development for the Company.

About Nalco

Nalco is the world's leading water treatment and process improvement company,
delivering significant environmental, social and economic performance benefits
to our customers. We help our customers reduce energy, water and other natural
resource consumption, enhance air quality, minimize environmental releases and
improve productivity and end products while boosting the bottom line. Together
our comprehensive solutions contribute to the sustainable development of
customer operations. More than 11,500 Nalco employees operate in 130 countries
supported by a comprehensive network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices
and research centers to serve a broad range of end markets. In 2007, Nalco
achieved sales of more than $3.9 billion. For more information visit
www.nalco.com.

The Nalco Company logo is available at
http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1135

This news release includes forward-looking statements, reflecting current
analysis and expectations, based on what are believed to be reasonable
assumptions. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results to differ
materially from those projected, stated or implied, depending on many factors,
including, without limitation: ability to generate cash, ability to raise
capital, ability to refinance, the result of the pursuit of strategic
alternatives, ability to execute work process redesign and reduce costs, ability
to execute price increases, business climate, business performance, economic and
competitive uncertainties, higher manufacturing costs, reduced level of customer
orders, changes in strategies, risks in developing new products and
technologies, environmental and safety regulations and clean-up costs, foreign
exchange rates, the impact of changes in the regulation or value of pension fund
assets and liabilities, changes in generally accepted accounting principles,
adverse legal and regulatory developments, including increases in the number or
financial exposures of claims, lawsuits, settlements or judgments, or the
inability to eliminate or reduce such financial exposures by collecting
indemnity payments from insurers, the impact of increased accruals and reserves
for such exposures, weather-related factors, and adverse changes in economic and
political climates around the world, including terrorism and international
hostilities, and other risk factors identified by the Company. Accordingly,
there can be no assurance that the Company will meet future results, performance
or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. This
paragraph is included to provide safe harbor for forward-looking statements,
which are not generally required to be publicly revised as circumstances change,
and which the Company does not intend to update.

-0-
CONTACT: Nalco Company
Media Contact:
Charlie Pajor
630 305 1556
cpajor@nalco.com
Investor Contact:
Mike Bushman
630 305 1025
mbushman@nalco.com