EXHIBIT 99.1

Contact:
Gene Cassis
Waters Corporation
Tel: (508) 482-2193

                Waters Corporation Adopts Stockholder Rights Plan

Milford, MA, August 12, 2002 - WATERS CORPORATION (NYSE: WAT) announced today
that its Board of Directors has approved the adoption of a stock purchase rights
plan. The rights plan is designed to assure that Waters stockholders receive
fair and equal treatment in the event of any proposed takeover of the company
and to guard against abusive tactics to gain control of the company without
paying all stockholders the fair value of their shares. The plan was not adopted
in response to any specific attempt to acquire Waters.

     Waters will issue a special dividend of one preferred share purchase right
for each outstanding share of common stock of Waters. This dividend will be
distributed on or promptly after August 27, 2002 to stockholders of record as of
the close of business on that date.

     If a person or group acquires, or announces a tender or exchange offer that
would result in the acquisition of, 15% or more of Waters common stock while the
rights plan remains in place, then, unless the rights are redeemed by Waters for
$0.001 per right, the rights will become exercisable by the rights holders,
except the acquiring person or group, for shares of Waters, or the third party
acquiring person, having a value of twice the right's then-current exercise
price. The exercise price as of the record date will be $120 per right, subject
to adjustment in certain circumstances. The rights will expire on August 27,
2012, unless redeemed prior to that date. Distribution of the rights is not
taxable to stockholders. A detailed description of the rights plan will be
mailed to Waters stockholders at the time of distribution.

     Waters Corporation holds worldwide leading positions in three complementary
analytical technologies - high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass
spectrometry (MS) and thermal analysis (TA). These account for $4.2 billion of
the overall $19 billion analytical instrumentation market. For further
information about Waters Corporation, please visit the Company's web site at
http:\\www.waters.com.

     Certain statements contained herein are forward looking. Many factors could
cause actual results to differ from these statements, including loss of market
share through competition, introduction of competing products by other
companies, pressures on prices from competitors and/or customers, regulatory
obstacles to new product introductions, lack of acceptance of new products,
changes in the healthcare market and the pharmaceutical industry, changes in
distribution of the Company's products, and foreign exchange fluctuations. Such
factors are discussed in detail in the Company's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.