Any 100 legal voters resident within the limits of any proposed public water district may petition the circuit court for the county in which the proposed district, or the major portion thereof is located, to cause the question of the creation of such proposed district under this Act to be submitted to the voters of the proposed district. Such petition shall be addressed to such court and shall contain a definite description of the boundaries of the territory to be embraced in such district, and the name of such proposed district. Upon filing of such petition in the office of the circuit clerk of the county in which such territory, or the major portion thereof is situated, it shall be the duty of the court to set a date for hearing on the petition, and it shall be the duty of such court to give notice of the time and place of the hearing on the petition by a publication inserted in one or more daily or weekly papers published in such proposed district at least 20 days prior to the date set for such hearing, and if no newspaper is published in such proposed district then by posting a notice of the time and place of the hearing on the said petition in not less than 10 of the most public places in the district at least 20 days prior to the date for such hearing.
At such hearing all persons desiring to be heard shall have an opportunity to be heard touching upon the location and boundary of such proposed district, and to make suggestions regarding the same, and the court after hearing statements, evidence and suggestions shall fix and determine the limits and boundaries of such proposed district and to that extent may alter and amend such petition. After such determination by such court the same shall be incorporated in an order that shall be filed of record in the court, and forthwith the court shall order the submission to the voters of the proposed public water district the question of organization and establishment thereof at a regular election in accordance with the general election law. The court shall certify the question to the proper election officials, who shall submit the question. The notice of such referendum shall specify briefly the purpose of such election, with a description of the boundaries of such proposed district. The question shall be in substantially the following form:
------------------------------------------------------------------------ FOR public water district. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ AGAINST public water district. ------------------------------------------------------------------------
The court shall canvass the result of the election and cause a written statement of the result of the election to be filed of record in the court. If a majority of the votes cast upon the question of the creation of the proposed public water district shall be in favor thereof such district shall forthwith be deemed an organized public water district, a public corporation, and a political subdivision of the State, with power to own and hold property both real and personal in its corporate name, to sue and be sued and to enter into contracts necessary or incidental to its purposes, including contracts with any city, village or incorporated town within or without its boundaries for furnishing a supply of water for the distribution system of any such city, village or incorporated town.
It shall be the duty of the circuit clerk to file a certified copy of the order, entered by the court showing the result of the referendum and the organization of the district, in the office of the county clerk of each county in which any of the area of such proposed district is located.
70 ILCS 3705/2