As water and energy are becoming limited resources, water footprints in the energy sector and energy footprints in the water sector are increasingly concerning in development and planning processes. In the context of cities, energy is of primary importance for urban water system management. From source abstraction, conveyance, treatment, distribution, waste water collection and treatment to recycle and disposal, every element of urban water system relies on energy. Typically, fossil fuels are the primary sources of energy, which produce considerable amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. The relevance of an energy-carbon footprint lies not only at the operational stage of water management but also at the construction of infrastructure in the form of embodied energy. This gives rise to the concept of a “nexus,” where water, energy and carbon can be managed under the same domain. Cities are a significant place to study this nexus because of high population density, complex agglomeration of infrastructure, economy, industry, technology and their overall dynamics. The high energy demand for water utilities is one of the issues in sustainable management of water and sanitation services in developing and developed countries. There is limited research in Asia, and few efforts have been made in development and planning to address the water-energy-carbon nexus.