Nalco Water
Nalco Water, an Ecolab company, supplies industrial and institutional water, energy, air-quality, and process-improvement products and services.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
Nalco Water is an American water-treatment and process-optimization brand owned by Ecolab Inc. Its roots extend to 1928, when the National Aluminate Corporation was created through the merger of Chicago Chemical Company and Aluminum Sales Corporation. Over the following decades, the business expanded through acquisitions and developed from a chemicals supplier into a broad provider of treatment programs, process services, monitoring systems, equipment and technical expertise. The company operated under several corporate names during its history. It became Nalco Chemical Company in 1959, entered the New York Stock Exchange in 1964, and broadened its industrial portfolio through acquisitions such as Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories in 1966 and the marine business of Bull & Roberts in 1984. In 1999, Suez acquired the company, delisted it from the exchange and renamed it Ondeo Nalco Company. A private-equity consortium involving Blackstone, Apollo Management and Goldman Sachs Alternatives acquired the business from Suez in 2003. The company returned to public markets in 2004 as Nalco Holding Company. Nalco’s activities have covered industrial water treatment, cooling and boiler systems, wastewater management, oil and gas production, mining and mineral processing, pulp and paper, power generation, food and beverage operations, manufacturing, institutional facilities and marine applications. Its solutions are intended to control scale, corrosion, fouling, microbiological growth and contamination while improving plant reliability and reducing the consumption of water, energy and other natural resources. The business also supplies technologies intended to improve air quality, reduce environmental releases and enhance the productivity or quality of customers’ finished products. A significant part of Nalco’s petroleum-sector history came through its relationship with Exxon Chemical Company. In 1994, the two companies formed Nalco Exxon Energy Chemicals L.P. to serve petroleum and natural-gas customers. In 2001, the joint venture became part of the Nalco business through a transaction involving ExxonMobil’s interest, strengthening Nalco’s position in energy-sector chemicals and services. Ecolab announced an agreement to acquire Nalco in July 2011. The transaction was completed in December 2011, making Nalco a wholly owned Ecolab subsidiary in a deal valued at approximately US$5.4 billion. The business subsequently adopted the Nalco Water identity within Ecolab’s portfolio. It now serves industrial and institutional customers internationally, combining treatment chemistry, equipment, digital monitoring, field service and operational consulting. The brand is also associated with Corexit oil dispersants, which were used during the Deepwater Horizon response and became the subject of public and regulatory scrutiny. Nalco Water’s present positioning is that of a specialized, global provider of resource-efficiency and water-management solutions rather than a conventional consumer water-purification brand.
History
Nalco Water traces its corporate lineage to 1928, when National Aluminate Corporation was formed in the United States by combining Chicago Chemical Company and Aluminum Sales Corporation. The original business developed around industrial chemicals and treatment applications. As manufacturing, utilities and resource industries adopted more complex process-water systems, the company expanded its product range and customer base through internal development and acquisitions. In 1959, the company adopted the name Nalco Chemical Company. It became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in 1964, providing access to capital for further expansion. An important early acquisition was Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories in 1966. In 1984, Nalco acquired the marine business of Bull & Roberts, a business later associated with Waltron, adding to its capabilities in marine and water-related applications. Nalco also built a substantial energy-sector presence. In 1994, it and Exxon Chemical Company created Nalco Exxon Energy Chemicals L.P., a joint venture intended to supply chemicals and services across the petroleum and natural-gas industries. In 2001, the venture became part of the Nalco business after ExxonMobil’s interest was redeemed. This arrangement strengthened Nalco’s position in production chemicals and other energy applications. A major ownership change occurred in 1999, when Suez acquired Nalco. The company was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange and renamed Ondeo Nalco Company. In December 2003, Blackstone, Apollo Management and Goldman Sachs Alternatives joined in the acquisition of Ondeo Nalco from Suez for approximately US$4.2 billion. The business returned to public ownership in late 2004 under the name Nalco Holding Company. By 2007, reported sales exceeded US$3.9 billion, reflecting the scale of its industrial and institutional operations. The company’s products and services increasingly addressed more than conventional water treatment. Its stated objectives included reducing water and energy consumption, limiting environmental releases, improving air quality, supporting productivity and protecting the quality of customers’ end products. This led to a business model combining chemical formulations with equipment, monitoring, process engineering and on-site service. Customers included power stations, refineries, mines, manufacturers, commercial facilities, food and beverage producers, pulp and paper mills and other large water users. Nalco’s Corexit dispersants became particularly prominent during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The products were used as part of the response, but their environmental effects and deployment became subjects of public discussion, regulatory examination and political attention. OpenSecrets records also describe company political contributions and lobbying in 2010, including activity related to Corexit’s use in the spill response. In July 2011, Ecolab and Nalco announced a merger agreement. Ecolab completed the approximately US$5.4 billion acquisition in December 2011, after which Nalco became a wholly owned Ecolab subsidiary. The business was subsequently presented as Nalco Water, an Ecolab company. Under this identity, it continued to provide industrial and institutional water-treatment products, services and technologies while benefiting from Ecolab’s wider global commercial and technical network. The modern brand serves customers in more than 130 countries and is described as employing more than 11,500 people, with a customer base exceeding 70,000.
- 2011
Acquired by Ecolab
[1]Ecolab completes its approximately US$5.4 billion acquisition of Nalco in December, making it a wholly owned subsidiary.
- 2010
Corexit becomes prominent in Deepwater Horizon response
[1]Corexit dispersants associated with Nalco are used during the Gulf of Mexico oil-spill response, prompting public and regulatory scrutiny.
- 2004
Company returns to public markets as Nalco Holding Company
[1]Following its private-equity acquisition, the company returns to the NYSE under the Nalco Holding Company name.
- 2003
Private-equity acquisition from Suez
[1]Blackstone, Apollo Management and Goldman Sachs Alternatives collaborate to acquire Ondeo Nalco from Suez for approximately US$4.2 billion.
- 2001
Energy-chemicals venture becomes part of Nalco
[1]Nalco Exxon Energy Chemicals becomes part of the company through redemption of ExxonMobil stock in the joint venture.
- 2001
Energy-chemicals venture integrated
[1]Nalco Exxon Energy Chemicals becomes part of the Nalco business through a transaction involving ExxonMobil's interest.
- 1999
Suez acquires Nalco
[1]Suez acquires the company, which is delisted from the NYSE and renamed Ondeo Nalco Company.
- 1994
Nalco Exxon Energy Chemicals joint venture formed
[1]Nalco and Exxon Chemical establish a joint venture serving petroleum and natural-gas customers.
- 1984
Marine business acquired from Bull & Roberts
[1]The company acquires the marine business of Bull & Roberts, later associated with Waltron.
- 1966
Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories is acquired
[1]Nalco acquires Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories, expanding its technical and laboratory-related capabilities.
Products and positioning
A global business-to-business provider of science-based water, energy, air-quality, and industrial-process solutions, positioned around resource efficiency, operational reliability, environmental performance, and productivity improvement.
Water treatment
Industrial water-treatment chemicals
Chemical programs for industrial water systems are designed to manage scale, corrosion, fouling, deposits and microbiological activity. They are used in facilities where water quality and reliable circulation affect equipment life, operating efficiency and production continuity.
Industrial process treatment
Cooling- and boiler-water treatment
Nalco provides treatment chemistry, monitoring and service for cooling towers, boilers and related heat-transfer systems. These programs aim to preserve heat-transfer performance, reduce corrosion and deposits, improve water efficiency and support dependable plant operation.
Wastewater management
Wastewater-treatment solutions
Wastewater offerings combine chemicals, equipment, process expertise and field support for industrial and institutional customers. Applications can address treatment performance, reuse, discharge quality, solids handling and efforts to reduce the volume of water sent to waste.
Oil-spill response
Corexit
Corexit is a line of oil dispersants associated with Nalco. Dispersants are used in oil-spill response to break oil into smaller droplets and support dispersion in the water column. Corexit’s use during the Deepwater Horizon response made the product highly visible and generated environmental and regulatory debate. Corexit is a line of oil dispersants associated with Nalco and used in spill-response operations. It became especially prominent after its use during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response in the Gulf of Mexico. The product is designed to break oil into smaller droplets that can disperse in water, supporting emergency response strategies, although its use has also generated public and regulatory debate.
Energy-sector chemicals · 1994
Energy and oilfield chemicals
Nalco’s energy-sector portfolio grew through its relationship with Exxon Chemical and the Nalco Exxon Energy Chemicals venture. The business has supplied products and services for petroleum and natural-gas operations, including production and process-related applications.
Water treatment
Industrial water-treatment programs
These programs combine treatment chemistry, field service, monitoring, and process expertise for industrial water systems. Applications include cooling towers, boilers, wastewater systems, membrane operations, and other water-intensive processes. The objective is to control corrosion, scale, fouling, microbiological activity, and water use while supporting equipment reliability and operating efficiency.
Energy-sector chemicals
Energy and petroleum process chemicals
Nalco's energy portfolio developed through its long-standing petroleum and natural-gas activities, including the Nalco Exxon Energy Chemicals joint venture. These offerings serve oilfield, refining, and related process environments, where chemical treatment and technical services are used to support production, transport, processing, equipment protection, and operational performance.
Industrial digital and technical services
Monitoring and control services
Nalco Water provides monitoring, measurement, and process-control capabilities alongside chemical programs. Such services are intended to help customers track system conditions, identify inefficiencies, manage treatment dosing, protect assets, and improve water and energy performance across industrial and institutional facilities.
Controversies
2010
Corexit and the Deepwater Horizon response
Corexit dispersants associated with Nalco were used during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Their use prompted controversy and scrutiny concerning dispersant selection, environmental effects and the handling of the response. The company’s lobbying activity concerning Corexit was also documented in public political-finance records.
Brand decisions
2011
Ecolab acquisitionM&ABackground
Ecolab and Nalco pursued a combination intended to broaden their respective water, process, hygiene and industrial-services capabilities.
Action taken
Ecolab agreed to acquire Nalco and completed the transaction in December 2011 for approximately US$5.4 billion.
Aftermath
Nalco became a wholly owned Ecolab subsidiary and was subsequently operated and marketed as Nalco Water, an Ecolab company.
Acquisition value. Approximately US$5.4 billion transaction (2011)
2003
Private-equity acquisition from SuezM&ABackground
A private-equity consortium pursued the acquisition of Ondeo Nalco from Suez.
Action taken
Blackstone, Apollo Management, and Goldman Sachs Alternatives acquired the company.
Aftermath
The business returned to the public markets in 2004 as Nalco Holding Company.
Acquisition value. $4.2 billion (2003)
1999
Suez acquires NalcoM&ABackground
Suez acquired the company as part of its expansion into water and related industrial services.
Action taken
The company was delisted from the NYSE and renamed Ondeo Nalco Company.
Aftermath
The business remained under Suez ownership until its sale to a private-equity group in 2003.
1994
Formed Nalco Exxon Energy Chemicals joint ventureM&ABackground
Nalco sought to strengthen its presence across petroleum and natural-gas industries, while Exxon Chemical brought an established energy-sector customer and technical base.
Action taken
Nalco and Exxon Chemical created Nalco Exxon Energy Chemicals L.P. to provide products and services to petroleum and natural-gas customers. The companies formed Nalco Exxon Energy Chemicals as a joint venture serving energy-industry applications.
Aftermath
The venture became part of Nalco in 2001 after redemption of ExxonMobil’s interest, reinforcing Nalco’s energy-chemicals business.
Sources2 sources
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