  Using the Expanded Very Large Array, we have conducted a search for 22.2 GHz
H2O megamaser emission in the strongly lensed submm galaxy, SMM J16359+6612 at
z=2.517. This object is lensed into three components, and after a correction
for magnification is applied to its submm-wavelength flux density, it is
typical of the bulk of the high-redshift, submm galaxy population responsible
for the 850 um extragalactic background (S(850um)~1 mJy). We do not detect any
H2O megamaser emission, but the lensing allows us to place an interesting
constraint on the luminosity of any megamasers present, L(H2O) < 5305 solar
luminosities for an assumed linewidth of 80 km/s. Because the far-infrared
luminosity in submm galaxies is mainly powered by star formation, and very
luminous H2O megamasers are more commonly associated with quasar activity, it
could be that blind searches for H2O megamasers will not be an effective means
of determining redshifts for less luminous members of the submm galaxy
population.
