ACFT IMPROPERLY SVCED. JET FUEL IN LAVATORY.

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ON CLBOUT AND AT INTERMEDIATE LEVELOFF; FL260; THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED THE CABIN AND INFORMED THE CAPT THAT HE SMELLED FUMES IN THE FRONT LAVATORY. THE CAPT INVESTIGATED AND AGREED FUMES SMELLED LIKE JET FUEL. THE CAPT DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH STL OPS AND DISPATCH AND ELECTED TO DIVERT INTO IND. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZID AND DIVERTED TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE FIELD; IND. FLT TERMINATED UNEVENTFULLY. PURGED THE FRONT LAVATORY AND AFTER CONFIRMING FUMES WERE GONE; WE CONTINUED ON TO DTW. APPARENTLY; A GND PERSON AT STL HAD SVCED THE FRONT LAVATORY WITH LIQUID THAT HAD SOME FUEL IN IT. HOW IT WAS MIXED INTO THE LAVATORY FLUID I DO NOT KNOW. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 293124: AS I WAS TRYING TO RECALL THE SMELL OF GLYCOL; I CALLED OUR DISPATCH OFFICE THROUGH A TELEPHONE PATCH. DISPATCH THEN ADVISED ME THAT WE HAD JET FUEL IN OUR FORWARD LAVATORY AND RECOMMENDED WE CONTINUE TO DTW FOR SVCING. I ASKED THEM IF THEY WERE CERTAIN THAT JET FUEL WAS IN OUR LAVATORY AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT THEY WERE. DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF FIRE; I DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY IN IND. DISPATCH TRIED TO TALK ME OUT OF MAKING AN UNSCHEDULED LNDG; BUT MY JUDGEMENT WAS THAT THE RISK OF FIRE FROM THE JET FUEL FUMES WAS TOO GREAT A RISK TO EXPOSE MY PAX TO FOR ANY LONGER THAN ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. MY ACTION RESULTED IN A CANCELED FLT AND A FERRY FLT DOWNLINE IN OUR RTE SYS. THE NEXT DAY; THE VICE PRESIDENT OF FLT OPS EXPRESSED HIS DISAPPOINTMENT WITH MY DECISION DUE TO THE EXPENSE INVOLVED. I BELIEVE THAT HE HAS CONFUSED THE PRIORITIES IN AIR TRANSPORTATION AND PLACED ECONOMIC OPS AHEAD OF PAX SAFETY.