Primary steps in the interaction of high energy photons with water creating multiply ionised products are examined experimentally and theoretically. Double Auger decay from a 1s-hole state populates triply ionised states between 80 and 140 eV binding energy. Ejection of one 1s electron and one valence electron gives states around 570 eV which decay to triply ionised states between 75 and 110 eV. Nuclear motion in these states competes with Auger decay and substantially modifies the final state spectra. The double core-hole state from ionisation of both 1s electrons is found at 1171 +/- 1 eV and calculated at 1170.85 eV. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.