  Context. The earliest phases of high-mass star formation are poorly
understood.
  Aims. Our goal is to determine the physical conditions and kinematic
structure of massive star-forming cloud clumps.
  Methods. We analyze H$_2$O 557 GHz line profiles observed with HIFI toward
four positions in two infrared-dark cloud clumps . By comparison with
ground-based C$^{17}$O, N$_2$H$^+$, CH$_3$OH and NH$_3$ line observations, we
constrain the volume density and kinetic temperature of the gas and estimate
the column density and abundance of H$_2$O and N$_2$H$^+$.
  Results. The observed water lines are complex with emission and absorption
components. The absorption is red shifted and consistent with a cold envelope,
while the emission is interpreted as resulting from protostellar outflows. The
gas density in the clumps is $\sim$ 10$^7$ cm$^{-3}$. The o-H2O outflow column
density is 0.3 to 3.0 10$^{14}$ cm$^{-2}$, the o-H2O absorption column density
is between 1.5 10$^{14}$ and 2.6 10$^{15}$ cm$^-2$ with cold o-H2O abundances
between 1.5 10$^{-9}$ and 3.1 10$^{-8}$.
  Conclusions. All clumps have high gas densities ($\sim$ 10$^7$ cm$^{-3}$) and
display infalling gas. Three of the four clumps have outflows. The clumps form
an evolutionary sequence as probed by H$_2$O N$_2$H$^+$, NH$_3$ and CH$_3$OH.
We find that G28-MM is the most evolved, followed by G11-MM then G28-NH3. The
least evolved clump is G11-NH3 which shows no sign-posts of star-formation.
G11-NH3 is a high-mass pre-stellar core.
