**Exhibit 31.1**

 

**CERTIFICATIONPURSUANT TO**

**RULE13a-14(a) OR RULE 15d-14(a) OF**

**THESECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934**

**ASADOPTED PURSUANT TO**

**SECTION 302OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002**

 

 

I, Dale B. Smith, certify that:

 

1.                                       I have reviewedthis quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Mueller Group, Inc.;

2.                                       Based on myknowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue statement of amaterial fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statementsmade, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, notmisleading with respect to the period covered by this quarterly report;

3.                                       Based on myknowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information includedin this quarterly report, fairly present in all material respects the financialcondition, results of operations, and cash flows of the registrant as of, andfor, the periods presented in this quarterly report;

4.                                       The registrant’sother certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing andmaintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange ActRules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and the registrant and we have;

 

a.               designed such disclosure controls andprocedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designedunder our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to theregistrant is made known to us by others within those entities, particularlyduring the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

b.              evaluated the effectiveness of theregistrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this reportour conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls andprocedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on suchevaluation; and

c.               disclosed in this report any change inthe registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred duringthe registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or isreasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financialreporting;

 

5.                                       The registrant’sother certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recentevaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’sauditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (orpersons performing the equivalent function):

 

a.               all significant deficiencies andmaterial weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control overfinancial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect theregistrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financialinformation; and

b.              any fraud, whether or not material, thatinvolves management or other employees who have a significant role in theregistrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

 
| Date:  | September 10, 2004               | /s/Dale B. Smith |   |
|--------|---------------------------------------|------------------|--------|
|   |                                  |
|   | Dale B. Smith                         |
|   | President and Chief Executive Officer |

 

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