A growing concern among drinking water microbiologists is the frequent deterioration of water quality due to bacterial growth within distribution systems. It has recently been shown that the growth of bacteria in distribution systems mainly takes place in the biofilm fixed at the internal surface of the pipes. While most utilities use chlorination to prevent and control biofilm growth in distribution systems, an alternative approach is to control bacterial growth by reducing the limiting nutrient source, which is most often biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC), required for the growth of heterotrophic bacteria. This paper analyzes data previously collected to answer the following: what level of BDOC in produced water ensures the biological stability of the water during distribution, and what kind of water treatment is able to achieve these BDOC levels.