Exhibit 5.01


                                February 26, 1997




United States Filter Corporation
40-004 Cook Street
Palm Desert, California 92211

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         I am Vice  President,  General  Counsel and  Secretary to United States
Filter Corporation,  a Delaware  corporation (the "Company"),  and have acted as
counsel to the Company in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3
(the "Registration Statement"),  filed by the Company on February 26, 1997, with
the Securities and Exchange  Commission  pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended,  with respect to an aggregate of up to 104,932  shares (the "Selling
Stockholders'  Shares") of the Company's Common Stock, par value $.01 per share,
that  may be  offered  or sold  from  time to time by the  selling  stockholders
identified in the Registration Statement.

         I am familiar  with the  Registration  Statement  and have reviewed the
Company's  Certificate  of  Incorporation  and  By-laws,  each  as  amended  and
restated.  I have also  examined  such  other  public and  corporate  documents,
certificates, instruments and corporate records, and such questions of law, as I
have  deemed  necessary  for  purposes of  expressing  an opinion on the matters
hereinafter set forth. In all  examinations of documents,  instruments and other
papers,  I have  assumed the  genuineness  of all  signatures  on  original  and
certified  documents and the  conformity to original and certified  documents of
all copies submitted to me as conformed, photostatic or other copies.

         On the basis of the  foregoing,  I am of the  opinion  that the Selling
Stockholders'   Shares  have  been  validly   issued  and  are  fully  paid  and
non-assessable.

         I  consent  to the  filing  of  this  opinion  as  Exhibit  5.01 to the
Registration  Statement  and to the use of my name in the  Prospectus  forming a
part thereof under the caption "Validity of Common Stock".

                                                 Yours truly,

                                                 /s/ Damian C. Georgino
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