  Of 104 AGN known to exhibit H$_2$O maser emission, X-ray data that enable
estimation of column densities, or lower limits, are available for 42.
Contributing to this, we report analysis of new and archival X-ray data for 8
galaxies and collation of values for three more. Maser emission is indicative
of large columns of cold gas, and in five of the eight new cases, maser spectra
point toward origins in accretion disks viewed close-to edge-on (a.k.a.
"disk-maser" systems). In these, we detect hard continuum and Fe K$\alpha$
emission with equivalent widths on the order of 1 keV, which is consistent with
Compton reflection, fluorescence by cold material, and obscuring columns $\ga
10^{24}$ cm$^{-2}$. Reviewing the full sample of 42, 95% exhibit N$_{\rm H}
>10^{23}$ cm$^{-2}$ and 60% exhibit N$_{\rm H} >10^{24}$ cm$^{-2}$. Half of
these are now recognized to be disk masers (up from 13); in this sub-sample,
which is likely to be more homogeneous vis-\'a-vis the origin of maser
emission, 76% exhibit N$_{\rm H} >10^{24}$ cm$^{-2}$. The probability of a
common parent distribution of columns for disk-masers and other AGN masers is
<3%. Because ground-based surveys of AGN to detect new disk masers are
relatively unbiased with respect to X-ray brightness and comparatively
inexpensive, they may also be efficient guides for the sensitive pointed X-ray
observations required to identify Compton-thick objects outside of shallow
surveys.
