Today the Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: Dow) celebrates World Water Day, showcasing how the Company is helping to bring safe and affordable water within reach of the more than one billion people across the globe who face water scarcity or inadequate water supplies.

"Dow shares World Water Day's ongoing commitment to collaboration and creating a sustainable world," said Neil Hawkins, vice president Sustainability and EH&S. "It's our core value to protect our planet, our mission to increase access to clean water around the world by applying our science and engineering expertise, and our passion for innovation that helps improve the quality of life."

Partners for Change

Dow is committed to developing strategic partnerships with stakeholders such as government and humanitarian organizations across the globe to help increase the rate at which society's most pressing needs are met - including the need to preserve and restore the world's water supply:

• Dow is helping protect 70 percent of Brazil's fresh water supply by working with a variety of partners on a large-scale reforestation program in the country's Atlantic Forest, which is home to major watersheds.
  
• Hawkins is representing Dow at the "Water and the urban challenge" discussion hosted by Foundation EurActiv on World Water Day in Brussels. Hawkins will join thought leaders from The Nature Conservancy, China's Ministry of Water Resources, and other organizations to discuss the role of chemistry and the power of partnerships.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Sustainability Leaders

As part of the International Year of Chemistry, Dow is supporting the launch of The Global Water Experiment, what could be the biggest chemistry experiment ever, on World Water Day. The experiment encourages teachers and students to participate in a global experiment allowing students to test the water where they live and interact with other students around the globe to share results. This will teach students about sustainable water management and the role that chemistry plays in purifying water for human consumption. The results will be showcased on an interactive global data map throughout the experiment, which runs through the end of 2011. Teachers and students can visit the Global Water Experiment page on the IYC website to register and learn more.

Harnessing the Power of Chemistry for Product Innovation

Dow's products - such as FILMTEC™ Reverse Osmosis membranes, ion exchange resins and electrodeionization - treat more than nine billion gallons (36 billion liters) of water every day. These technologies make seawater fit for human consumption and industrial use, remove contaminants from municipal water supplies, purify industrial and residential water, and reduce and reclaim water used in industrial processing. The Company plans to dedicate even more resources to the next generation of clean water technologies through its Global Water Technology Development Center in Tarragona, Spain, which is slated to open in June.

Dow's Global Water Footprint

Dow continues to reduce its own water footprint and improve its bottom line through efforts to conserve and recycle water at its facilities. New technology implemented at the company's site in Freeport, Texas last year will save one billion gallons of fresh water annually. At its facility in Terneuzen, The Netherlands, Dow partners with the local government to reuse community wastewater, resulting in substantial water and energy savings.

Dow's commitments to enabling clean and sustainable water supplies include:

• Driving a 35 percent reduction in the cost of water reuse and desalination through component technology advances.
  
• Being a key enabler of low-cost technologies and business models for small water treatment systems in the developing world.
  
• Developing and implementing minimal discharge plant designs while continuously improving Dow's water use efficiency.

For more information about Dow's global sustainability commitments, visit Dow online.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: Dow) combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses deliver a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2010, Dow had annual sales of $53.7 billion and employed approximately 50,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 35 countries across the globe. 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.

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.