Electronic state spectroscopy of water has been studied using synchrotron radiation. The spectra presented in this Letter represent the highest resolution (similar to 0.075 nm) measurements in the energy range 6.0-11.0 eV and have allowed a detailed analysis of several new vibrational progressions to be observed in the 8.5-10 eV region and enabled us to assign the Rydberg series in the 9.9-10.8 eV energy absorption for the first time. Absolute cross-sections are also reported and compared with the previous data. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.