FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: January 31, 2005 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * BELL LAWRENCE T   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol ECOLAB INC [ECL] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) General Counsel and Secretary (Last) (First) (Middle) ECOLAB INC., 370 WABASHA STREET N. 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 07/30/2009 (Street) ST. PAUL, MN 55102 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 07/30/2009   M   20,000 A $ 18.96 124,058 D   Common Stock 07/30/2009   F(1)   13,781 D $ 41.45 110,277 D   Common Stock 07/30/2009   M   40,000 A $ 22.3675 150,277 D   Common Stock 07/30/2009   F(1)   29,448 D $ 41.45 120,829 D   Common Stock 07/30/2009   M   77,000 A $ 41.45 197,829 D   Common Stock 07/30/2009   F(1)   58,787 D $ 41.45 139,042 D   Common Stock 07/30/2009   S   19,100 D $ 41.5 119,942 D   Common Stock 07/31/2009   S   15,884 D $ 41.5 104,058 D   Common Stock               3,856 I By daughter Common Stock               3,748 I By daughter Common Stock               8,709.481 (2) I By Ecolab Savings Plan

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
	Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.		SEC 1474 (9-02)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Common Stock

$ 18.96 (3)

07/30/2009

M

20,000 (3)

12/06/2002(3)

12/06/2011

Common Stock

20,000

$ 0

0

D

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 41.45

07/30/2009

A

13,781

07/30/2009

12/06/2011

Common Stock

13,781

$ 0

13,781

D

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 22.3675 (4)

07/30/2009

M

40,000 (4)

02/22/2003(4)

02/22/2012

Common Stock

40,000

$ 0

0

D

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 41.45

07/30/2009

A

29,448

07/30/2009

02/22/2012

Common Stock

29,448

$ 0

29,448

D

Common Stock

$ 24.34 (5)

07/30/2009

M

77,000 (5)

12/05/2003(5)

12/05/2012

Common Stock

77,000

$ 0

0

D

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 41.45

07/30/2009

A

58,787

07/30/2009

12/05/2012

Common Stock

58,787

$ 0

58,787

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
BELL LAWRENCE T ECOLAB INC. 370 WABASHA STREET N. ST. PAUL, MN 55102			General Counsel and Secretary

Signatures

/s/ David F. Duvick, Attorney-in-Fact for Lawrence T. Bell		07/31/2009
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Reflects the reporting person's payment of the exercise price and withholding taxes for a stock option issued in accordance with Rule 16b-3 by delivering or withholding shares of Ecolab Common Stock.
(2)	The reporting person indirectly holds 8,709.481 UNITS in the Ecolab Stock Fund of the Ecolab Savings Plan (401(k) Plan) as of June 30, 2009. Includes 65.898 UNITS acquired since the reporting person's last report. (The 8,709.481 UNITS are equivalent to approximately 16,293 SHARES of Common Stock.)
(3)	Option granted under the Ecolab Inc. 1997 Stock Incentive Plan on December 6, 2001. The option was originally reported as covering 40,000 shares at an exercise price of $37.92 but has been adjusted to reflect a stock split on June 6, 2003 and the subsequent exercise of 60,000 shares. The option became exercisable, cumulatively, as to one-third of the total shares subject to the option on each of the first and second anniversaries of the date of grant and as to the remaining shares on the third anniversary of the date of grant.
(4)	Option granted under the Ecolab Inc. 1997 Stock Incentive Plan on February 22, 2002. The option was originally reported as covering 20,000 shares at an exercise price of $44.4735 but has been adjusted to reflect a stock split on June 6, 2003. The option became exercisable, cumulatively, as to one-third of the total shares subject to the option on each of the first and second anniversaries of the date of grant and as to the remaining shares on the third anniversary of the date of grant.
(5)	Option granted under the Ecolab Inc. 2002 Stock Incentive Plan on December 5, 2002. The option was originally reported as covering 38,500 shares at an exercise price of $48.68 but has been adjusted to reflect a stock split on June 6, 2003. The option became exercisable, cumulatively, as to one-third of the total shares subject to the option on each of the first and second anniversaries of the date of grant and as to the remaining shares on the third anniversary of the date of grant.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.