In an era of increasing threats to critical infrastructure, water utilities face growing pressure to ensure the safety, resilience, and reliability of their systems. While traditional water master plans emphasize capacity, hydraulics, asset condition, regulatory compliance, and long‑term capital needs, security considerations have historically been addressed only as supplemental or reactive measures. However, today’s risk landscape—shaped by aging infrastructure, cyber‑physical vulnerabilities, natural hazards, and evolving adversarial threats—demands a more integrated approach. Embedding security directly into the water system master planning process enables utilities to proactively identify vulnerabilities, optimize protection strategies, and align investments with their long‑term operational and resilience goals. This presentation will explore why security should be treated as a foundational element of any modern Water Master Plan and how utilities can benefit from a structured Security Master Planning process. A Security Master Plan provides a comprehensive, systemwide framework for assessing risk, establishing protection priorities, and aligning security measures with operational needs and available resources. By combining risk‑based methodologies with practical, utility‑specific considerations, a Security Master Plan supports the development of defensible, cost‑effective strategies that address both physical and cyber risks while reinforcing operational continuity. The session will define the essential components of a Security Master Plan, including asset identification, threat and vulnerability assessments, mitigation strategies, governance structures, technology roadmaps, implementation plans, and ongoing performance evaluation. Attendees will gain insight into how these components strengthen resilience by reducing exposure to internal and external threats, enhancing emergency preparedness, and supporting recovery during security‑related incidents. The presentation will highlight real‑world examples demonstrating how a structured security planning process can prevent costly disruptions, support compliance with state and federal requirements, and improve coordination across departments and agencies. Participants will also learn how to integrate security considerations into traditional water system master planning processes. This includes aligning security investments with capital improvement programs, incorporating security criteria into asset management and prioritization frameworks, coordinating cybersecurity and physical security planning, and ensuring that security becomes a routine part of utility decision‑making rather than an isolated technical exercise. Special attention will be given to strategies that help small and medium‑sized utilities with limited resources develop scalable, practical, and defensible security solutions. As water utilities navigate a rapidly evolving risk environment, embedding security into long‑term planning is no longer optional—it is essential. This session will equip attendees with the knowledge and tools needed to understand the value of Security Master Planning and how it strengthens utility resilience, safeguards critical assets, and supports uninterrupted service to the communities they serve.