Urban water-energy (WE) nexus is regarded as highly important in managing resource shortage crisis in city. Integrating this nexus approach with metabolism framework can provide important insights for sustainable urban planning. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review on urban WE nexus from the perspective of urban metabolism. With the objective of less independence and impact on eco-environment, we make an inventory of alternative sources and associated optimized utilization pathways within urban water system context from resource management provision.