Exhibit31.1

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I,William H. Joyce, certify that:

|          |                                                                            |
|----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.  | Ihave reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Nalco HoldingCompany; |

|          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2.  | Based on my knowledge,this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact oromit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, inlight of the circumstance under which such statements were made, notmisleading with respect to the period covered by thisreport; |

|          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 3.  | Based on my knowledge, thefinancial statements, and other financial information included in thisreport, fairly represent in all material respects the financialcondition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant asof, and for, the periods presented in thisreport; |

|          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 4.  | The registrant'sother certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing andmaintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in ExchangeAct Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant andhave: |

|  |           |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|--|-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  | (a)  | Designed such disclosurecontrols and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls andprocedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure thatmaterial information relating to the registrant, including itsconsolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within thoseentities, particularly during the period in which this report is beingprepared; |

|  |           |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|--|-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  | (b)  | Evaluated theeffectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls andprocedures and presented in this report our conclusions about theeffectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the endof the period covered by this report based on such evaluation;and |

|  |           |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|--|-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  | (c)  | Disclosed in this reportany change in the registrant's internal control over financialreporting that occurred during the registrant's most recentfiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in thecase of an annual report) that has materially affected, or isreasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internalcontrol over financial reporting;and |

|          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 5.  | The registrant's othercertifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recentevaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to theregistrant's auditors and the audit committee of theregistrant's board of directors (or persons performing theequivalent functions): |

|  |           |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|--|-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  | (a)  | Allsignificant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design oroperation of internal control over financial reporting which arereasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability torecord, process, summarize and report financial information;and |

|  |           |                                                                                                                                                                         |
|--|-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  | (b)  | Any fraud, whether or notmaterial, that involves management or other employees who have asignificant role in the registrant's internal control overfinancial reporting. |

Date: November 17, 2004

/s/ WILLIAM H. JOYCE  

Name: William H. Joyce

Title:    Chairman and Chief ExecutiveOfficer

----