WATER IN THE FUEL SYS CAUSES AN SMA TO DIVERT LAND AT A PVT ARPT.

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I SCHEDULED A C152 FOR SUNDAY. WHEN I GOT TO ARPT; PLANE HAD BEEN FLOWN FOR 1.2 HRS AND NEEDED FUEL. I WAITED FOR TOP-OFF BEFORE CHKING SUMPS IN WINGS TWICE AND CARB. -- I KNOW BETTER FROM MY SAFETY SEMINARS. RUN-UP WAS NORMAL; TKOF SAME; ABOUT 8 MI FROM ARPT -- ENG STARTED TO CUT-OUT BAD! I IMMEDIATELY TURNED BACK; DID ALL MY CHKS WHILE TALKING TO TWR. IT DIDN'T SMOOTH OUT AND I DIDN'T WANT TO TRY TO MAKE IT BACK. SO I DIVERTED TO SMALL PVT FIELD RIGHT THEN. AFTER LNDG -- BOTH WING SUMPS CHKED CLEAN TWICE AGAIN. I WENT TO CHK CARB SUMP AND FOUND 1/4 IN WATER IN TESTER. DRAINED SUMP COMPLETELY AND RESTARTED OK. IT STILL RAN A LITTLE ROUGH; BUT MADE IT BACK TO PRIMARY ARPT. AFTER RETURN -- FOUND OUT -- NO PROBS ON FIRST FLT OF DAY. GAS CAP CHKED -- OK FOR SEALS. THE ONLY THING WE COULD GUESS IS THE RAIN OVER PREVIOUS DAYS HAD CAUSED CONDENSATION IN TANKS. I FELT REAL PROUD OF MY EMER PROCS AND RECOMMEND THOSE SAFETY MEETINGS TO EVERYONE! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR TOOK OFF FROM DWH ARPT AND LANDED AT 2XS3; MAY ARPT; A PVT ARPT. THE PROB WAS 'JUST WATER.' THE RPTR WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH DWH WHILE LNDG AT 2XS3 AND WHILE ON THE GND AT 2XS3.