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 * BAKER DOUGLAS M JR   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol ECOLAB INC [ECL] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Chairman, President & CEO (Last) (First) (Middle) ECOLAB INC., 370 WABASHA STREET N. 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 10/24/2006 (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 08/24/2006   G V 2,500 D $ 0 36,141.036 D   Common Stock 10/24/2006   M   8,150 A $ 19.266 44,291.036 D   Common Stock 10/24/2006   F(1)   5,487 D $ 44.81 38,804.036 D   Common Stock 10/24/2006   M   40,000 A $ 20.798 78,804.036 D   Common Stock 10/24/2006   F(1)   27,717 D $ 44.81 51,087.036 D   Common Stock 10/24/2006   M   32,000 A $ 18.96 83,087.036 D   Common Stock 10/24/2006   F(1)   21,421 D $ 44.81 62,016.267 (2) D   Common Stock               4,615.671 (3) 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

$ 19.266 (4)

10/24/2006

M

8,150 (4)

08/18/2001(4)

08/18/2010

Common Stock

8,150

$ 0

0

D

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 44.81

10/24/2006

A

5,487

10/24/2006

08/18/2010

Common Stock

5,487

$ 0

5,487

D

Common Stock

$ 20.798 (5)

10/24/2006

M

40,000 (5)

12/07/2001(5)

12/07/2010

Common Stock

40,000

$ 0

0

D

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 44.81

10/24/2006

A

27,717

10/24/2006

12/07/2010

Common Stock

27,717

$ 0

27,717

D

Common Stock

$ 18.96 (6)

10/24/2006

M

32,000 (6)

12/06/2002(6)

12/06/2011

Common Stock

32,000

$ 0

78,000

D

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 44.81

10/24/2006

A

21,421

10/24/2006

12/06/2011

Common Stock

21,421

$ 0

21,421

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
BAKER DOUGLAS M JR ECOLAB INC. 370 WABASHA STREET N. ST. PAUL, MN 55102	X		Chairman, President & CEO

Signatures

/s/ David F. Duvick, Attorney-in-Fact for Douglas M. Baker, Jr.		10/24/2006
**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)	Includes 97.003 shares acquired by reporting person on January 20, 2006, 90.456 shares acquired by reporting person on April 20, 2006, 85.247 shares acquired by reporting person on July 20, 2006, and 77.525 acquired by reporting person on October 19, 2006 under the Ecolab Dividend Reinvestment Plan.
(3)	The reporting person indirectly holds 4,615.671 UNITS in the Ecolab Stock Fund of the Ecolab Savings Plan (401(k) Plan) as of September 30, 2006. (The 4,615.671 UNITS are equivalent to approximately 8,619 SHARES of Common Stock.)
(4)	Option granted under the Ecolab Inc. 1997 Stock Incentive Plan on August 18, 2000. The option was originally reported as covering 20,000 shares at an exercise price of $38.53125 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. 1997 Stock Incentive Plan on December 7, 2000. The option was originally reported as covering 20,000 shares at an exercise price of $41.595 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.
(6)	Option granted under the Ecolab Inc. 1997 Stock Incentive Plan on December 6, 2001. The option was originally reported as covering 55,000 shares at an exercise price of $37.92 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.