South Holland is a village of 21,465 residents at the 2020 Census, settled by Dutch immigrants in the 1840s and known in the 1940s as the Onion Set Capital of the World. The farmland is long gone, but the low ground remains. Our shop at 1205 E Sibley Blvd in Dolton is about 2 miles north, and dispatch answers around the clock.
If you are reading this with water on the floor, skip ahead to the preparation steps. If you are planning ahead, the sections below walk through the town the way a plumber sees it, from the river to the rebate program.
South Holland by postal code
The village shares edges with other towns, and ZIP codes cross borders. This is how we cover them.
| ZIP | Area | What to tell us |
|---|---|---|
| 60473 | South Holland, primary | Street address and cross street |
| 60476 | Thornton | Street address, we confirm the route |
| 60438 | Lansing | Street address, we confirm the route |
| Glenwood | Mention only | Call to confirm before we book |
Floods that shaped the village
South Holland's worst floods came in 1957, 1981 and 1990. In 1990 the Little Calumet River crested 21 feet above normal and took four days to subside. The village responded by adopting a flood-proofing rebate program in 1994 that offered owner-occupants 25 percent of project costs, with a cap, for overhead sewers, backflow valves, drain tile and foundation work.
A 2016 pilot for sewer backups covers half the cost, also with a cap. These figures come from a 2019 Pew Charitable Trusts brief, so treat them as history. Call South Holland village hall at 708-339-2323 and ask whether the program is current before you plan a job around it.
Source: Pew Charitable Trusts brief on South Holland flood-proofing, 2019, citing the village.
The jobs those floods point to
A rebate program that covers these items tells you which jobs the village sees as flood protection.
Sump pump
Moves groundwater out of the pit. If yours is old, noisy or silent in a storm, see sump pump repair.
Overhead sewer or backflow valve
Keeps sewage from rising into floor drains when the public line backs up. Often a new install rather than a repair.
Drain tile and downspouts
Water directed away from the foundation lowers the load on the pump. We say honestly when this is a landscaping fix, not a plumbing one.
Foundation sealing
Cracks that weep after rain. Our basement waterproofing page explains what sealing does and what it does not.
Before We Arrive: South Holland basement water
A short card set for the next few minutes.
Shut off the main water valve
Find it near the meter and turn it clockwise if a pipe has burst. If water is entering from the floor or walls, the valve will not help.
Kill power to wet areas
Stay out of water near the furnace, panel or outlets. Call ComEd at 800-334-7661 if you cannot reach the breaker dry.
Clear the area
Lift boxes, rugs and cardboard. Photograph the damage first for your insurer.
Do not run water
Hold off on laundry, showers and the dishwasher while a floor drain is rising.
Call the 24/7 line
Tell us the symptoms and your street. If you smell gas, leave and call Nicor Gas at 888-642-6748 or 911 first.
South Holland basement flooding?
Call the 24/7 line and tell us what the water is doing.
When the sewer line is the problem
Water that comes back up a floor drain during a storm can mean a cracked or root-packed line under the yard. We check with a camera, and the footage tells us whether a cleaning will hold or whether sewer line repair is the real fix.
A line that fails again and again is a repair question, not a cleaning one. We say so before we run a cable a third time.
Repair the pump or add backup protection?
Most South Holland basements need one of two things, and sometimes both.
Fix or replace the pump
- Solves a pump that will not start or run
- Usually a same-day appointment when available
- Does nothing for a backing-up floor drain
- Best when the rest of the system is sound
Add a backflow valve or overhead sewer
- Keeps sewage out of floor drains in a storm
- A planned install, not an emergency fix
- Costs more up front, so ask about rebates
- Best after repeated sewer backups
If you are not sure which fits your basement, a technician can look at the pit, the floor drain and the line in a single visit.
Questions to ask before you plan a flood-proofing job
A few answers will save you a wasted trip to village hall.
- Is the rebate program current, and does my property qualify
- Do I own the home and live in it, or rent
- Does the permit office need drawings before work starts
- Do I have sewer backup coverage on my insurance
- Which fix matches what actually flooded my basement
Water, neighbors and who answers the phone
The village buys surface water from Chicago through the Sibley Pumping Station and from Hammond, Indiana. Its 2024 report listed a lead 90th percentile of 1.6 ppb with one site over the action level. Ask the village at 708-339-2323 if you want to know what material your service line is.
We also cover Thornton, Lansing and the Glenwood area on request. Dolton is to the north, and our crews also serve Harvey, Riverdale and Calumet City. Illinois licenses plumbers through IDPH, and its online verification tool is the place to check any plumber.
Codes and permits for backwater valves and overhead sewers
A backwater valve or an overhead sewer is a plumbing installation, so it falls under the Illinois Plumbing Code, 77 Ill. Adm. Code 890. According to the village's own published rebate rules, as reported in 2019, such work was eligible for a partial rebate for owner-occupants, and the village hall can tell you whether that program is current.
Permit rules vary, so ask South Holland's village hall before you hire anyone. The village number for water questions is 708-339-2323, and you can confirm a plumber's state license with the IDPH License Verification tool.
Sources: Pew Charitable Trusts brief (2019) citing the Village of South Holland, 77 Ill. Adm. Code 890, IDPH.
South Holland plumbing questions
Yes. The 24/7 emergency line is answered nights, weekends and holidays. Call (773) 207-0518 and tell us your street and what the water is doing.
We cover 60473, the primary South Holland ZIP. We also cover 60476 in Thornton and 60438 in Lansing. Give us your street address and we will confirm the route before we book.
We do not know. The program was reported in 2019, so call South Holland village hall at 708-339-2323 and ask. Get any rebate terms in writing before you hire anyone.
It depends on what flooded. A pump that fails to start is a pump problem. Sewage in a floor drain points to a backflow valve or overhead sewer. A technician can look at both in a visit.
No. The reservoir takes in combined sewer overflow on the public system. A private basement can still flood through a failed pump or a floor drain.
Yes. Give us the unit number and a contact who can open the door, and we send work order details to the property manager on request.