从多个角度来看，开放成品水库中的藻类生长令人担忧:导致不良味道和气味发作、过滤器堵塞、导致总三卤甲烷（TTHMS）和卤乙酸（HAA5s）（当氯用作最终系统消毒剂时），以及在随后的消毒过程中作为细菌和病毒“藏身处”的颗粒物的贡献。二氧化氯是一种有吸引力的替代氯化或氯胺化藻类控制。 它不产生TTHM。作为一种灭藻剂，它的灭藻效果是氯的2到10倍，而且灭藻速度是氯的3倍。

Algal growth in open-finished water reservoirs is of concern from a number of perspectives: contributions to undesirable taste and odor episodes, filter plugging, contribution to total Trihalomethanes (TTHMS) and haloacetic aicds (HAA5s) (when chlorine is used as the final system disinfectant), and contribution of particulates which can serve as "hideouts" for bacteria and viruses during subsequent disinfection. Chlorine dioxide is an attractive alternative to chlorination or chloramination for algae control. It does not produce TTHMs. It is two to ten times more effective than chlorine as an algaecide and works up to three times faster.