Water security is fundamental to human security. Initially viewed as a water scarcity issue, water security is now looked at holistically, encompassing several dimensions. In the last few years, there have been rapid strides made in water security research. This has led to an improved and a more all-inclusive understanding of water security and has, to some extent, unravelled the inherent complexities that are associated with it. While science has been quite successful in explaining the theoretical aspects of water security, there is much scope to link these to real world solutions. The philosophy of water security is robust; however, its implementation on the ground is still weak. Research in water security now needs to move into this solution space, where the theories are translated into practice. This paper provides an overview of the existing water security landscape, and seeks to identify some key research needs that are required to operationalize the concept of water security into reality. It acknowledges that achieving water security may be a complex process, requiring the coordinated and concerted efforts from several stakeholders and diverse water use sectors. However, the creation of water-secure societies with an acceptable level of risk is very much possible. Science has a large role to play in making this happen.