MIDLAND, MI - March 20, 2009 - Through collaborations with non-profit organizations, our businesses such as Dow Water Solutions and joint technology developments, The Dow Chemical Company is helping to address the world’s need for freshwater.

More than one billion people do not have access to clean, safe drinking water, resulting in waterborne diseases causing more than 80 percent of illnesses in the developing world. As part of World Water Day (March 22) - a celebration of freshwater, Dow will join others in recognizing the global water crisis while highlighting our own water engagements.

Corporate Social Responsibility:

In 2008, Dow and International Aid announced a partnership to help provide safer and cleaner water around the world. Dow provided two million pounds of plastic resin to produce 300,000 lightweight HydrAid(TM) BioSand Water Filters. International Aid then distributed and installed the filters in northern Ghana where waterborne illnesses are a major problem.

"Small communities in developing countries present a unique challenge for the supply of clean water," said Dave Kepler, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer for Dow. "As a leading chemical company, Dow is uniquely positioned to be able to provide breakthrough technologies that are transportable to areas such as Ghana. The technology provides clean water enabling children to be healthy to grow and to learn and parents to work and support their families."

Business Contributions:

Through its products, Dow Water Solutions (DWS) helps provide water for both industrial and drinking water applications. Dow is the leading global supplier of reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membrane technology, FILMTEC(TM). DWS is currently pilot testing its new 16-inch diameter reverse osmosis modules which contain nearly four times the membrane of the previous 8-inch diameter lowering the cost of capital required for desalination systems by 10 to 20 percent.

Operations Initiatives:

One of Dow's primary objectives is to eliminate wastewater production at the source, while also focusing on technologies which allow for the reuse of water. New technologies to cost-effectively drive water reuse will be a critical enabler of industrial growth.

Antwerp, Belgium is home to the world's largest commercial-scale propylene oxide (PO) plant and the first based on the innovative hydrogen peroxide to propylene oxide (HPPO) technology, and is located at BASF's site in Belgium. Developed by Dow and BASF, the new HPPO technology provides economies of scale, a reduction of wastewater and lower energy usage. New plants using this technology are more economical - needing less land, reduced plant infrastructure and 25 percent less capital to build. HPPO technology results in more than 70 percent reduction in wastewater and a 35 percent reduction of energy usage compared with typical PO technologies currently in use.

Dow's commitment to affordable, safe and sustainable water supplies is reflected in our 2015 Sustainability Goals. Dow will:

• Drive a 35 percent reduction in the cost of water reuse and desalination, through component technology advances.
  
• Be a key enabler of low-cost technologies and business models for small water treatment systems in the developing world.
  
• Develop and implement minimal discharge plant designs while continuously improving Dow's water use efficiency
  
• Catalyze awareness and action on the global safe water crisis through leading innovative partnerships with corporations, NGOs and government agencies.

With annual sales of $58 billion and 46,000 employees worldwide, Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in around 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

For more information on Dow's global water engagements visit www.dow.com.

OLD - Dow Chemical Company

OLD - Dow Chemical Company

With annual sales of $54 billion and 46,000 employees worldwide, Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in around 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted.