65 ILCS 5/11-135-6
Whenever such commission shall pass an ordinance for the construction or acquisition of any waterworks properties, or improvements or extension or mains, pumping stations, reservoirs or other appurtenances thereto, which such commission is authorized to make, the making of which will require that private property be taken or damaged, such commission may cause compensation therefor to be ascertained and may condemn and acquire possession thereof in the same manner as nearly as may be, as provided for the exercise of the right of eminent domain under the Eminent Domain Act . However, proceedings to ascertain the compensation to be paid for taking or damaging private property shall in all cases be instituted in the circuit court of the county where the property sought to be taken or damaged is situated.
In addition, when a Water Commission created under the Water Commission Act of 1985, as amended, requires that public property be taken or damaged for the purposes specified above, such commission may condemn and acquire possession of public property and cause compensation for such public property to be ascertained in the same manner provided for the exercise of the right of eminent domain under the Eminent Domain Act , during such time as the Commission has the power to initiate action in the manner provided by Article 20 of the Eminent Domain Act (quick-take procedure) .
In the event a Commission created under the Water Commission Act of 1985 shall determine that negotiations for the acquisition of property or easements for making any improvement which such Commission is authorized to make have proven unsuccessful and the Commission shall have by resolution adopted a schedule or plan of operation for the execution of the project and therein made a finding that it is necessary to take such property or easements immediately or at some specified later date in order to comply with the schedule, the Commission may commence proceedings to acquire such property or easements in the same manner provided in Article 20 of the Eminent Domain Act (quick-take procedure); except that if the property or easement is located in a municipality having more than 2,000,000 inhabitants, the Commission may not commence such proceedings until the acquisition has been approved by ordinance of the corporate authorities of the municipality.
Any commission has the power to acquire, hold, sell, lease as lessor or lessee, transfer or dispose of real or personal property, or interest therein, as it deems appropriate in the exercise of its powers for its lawful purposes. When, in the opinion of a commission, real estate owned by it, however acquired, is no longer necessary, appropriate, required for the use of, profitable to, or for best interest of the commission, such commission may, by resolution, lease such surplus real estate for a period not to exceed 99 years, or sell such surplus real estate, in accordance with procedures adopted by resolution by such commission.
65 ILCS 5/11-135-6