Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42031721›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Unlocking energy-carbon-water synergies in global water supply system maintenance.

Saige Wang, Yujing Huang, Yu Shao, Tuqiao Zhang, Shuang Song, Kuishuang Feng, Nan Li, Brian D Fath, Albert Nkwasa, Feilong Dong

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Saige WangSchool of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1999-8304
Yujing HuangCollege of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. huangyujing@zuaa.zju.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-7300-9050
Yu ShaoCollege of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Tuqiao ZhangCollege of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Shuang SongCollege of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8033-6839
Kuishuang FengDepartment of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China.
Nan LiSchool of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2314-6195
Brian D FathWater Research Group, Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program, IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9440-6842
Albert NkwasaWater Research Group, Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program, IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8685-8854
Feilong DongCollege of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China. dongfeilong@zjut.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6627-5133

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 52470017
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Drinking water system maintenance faces rising energy, carbon, and water pressures, but integrated optimization strategies remain limited. Here we developed an energy-carbon-water nexus framework to quantify the resource efficiency gains of replacing conventional unidirectional flushing with air scouring, ice pigging, and their combined use across pipe, city, and regional scales. At the pipe scale, air scouring and ice pigging reduced energy use by 12%-68%, carbon footprint by 7%-84%, and water use by 56%-91% relative to unidirectional flushing. When scaled to 258,000 km of pipelines across 50 cities and regions, emerging technologies reduced annual energy use by 4.40×10

Identifiers

PMID42031721
PMCPMC13319816

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.