Residents and Businesses Sewer Collection is provided by the Village of South Holland Public Works Department and the Water/Sewer/Stormwater Division, which helps to maintain the sewer structures and pipes throughout the community.  The sewage is pumped to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) for treatment. 

How to deal with sewer backups: 
When a sewer backup requires immediate action, Public Works representatives are available to help residents determine the problem. Below are a few tips to help you deal with a sewer backup. 

·     Residents who have a sewer backup should first call the South Holland Public Works Department at (708) 339-2323, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 7:00 am and 3:30 pm or the Police Department at (708) 311-3131, after 3:30 pm on week days and on the weekend to request that an employee check the status of the Village’s main sewers. A Public Works representative will be dispatched to check the main sanitary sewer line at no cost to you. The Public Works representative is there to assist you in determining where the problem could be.

·     If the blockage is located in the main sewer line, Public Works will remedy the problem as quickly as possible.

·     If the problem is determined to be the resident’s responsibility, the resident should contact a licensed plumber. Be sure to ask your plumber to measure from the house line to the blockage.

·     Public Works suggests that you compare the prices, guarantees, availability and work experience of at least three licensed plumbers.

Sewer Backup
If the sewer service (sewer running from the village-maintained sewer main to the house) is plugged, there can be backups into the house. The sewer service can back up for any of the following reasons: grease, waste, tree roots, breaks in the pipe and saturated ground.

Grease 
Grease bonds to the sewer pipe, which can restrict and ultimately cut off the sewer service from the village owned sewer main. Solution: Do not pour grease or other illegal substances down the drain, as they will eventually clog the sewer service line.

Waste 
If the sewer service pipe is too small, or is partially clogged, the waste leaving the house from toilets, bathtubs, laundry rooms and dishwashers will back up into the house. This backup can usually be seen in the basement bathroom or laundry room. Solution: Install an overhead sewer.

Tree roots 
In old sewer services, tree roots can begin to grow in the cracks of the pipe obstructing the flows from the house and reducing the capacity of the sewer service. Solution: Replace old sewer services, pour tree root killer down the toilet each year, or have sewer professionally rodded.

Breaks in the pipe/saturated ground 
When the ground around the sewer service is saturated (after a heavy rain or in an area with ponding water), the rainwater can seep into the cracks in the pipe. Solution: Replace the cracked sewer services.

Collapsed line 
Collapsed sewer service lines will prevent wastewater from the house from entering the Village-owned sewer main.

Illegal connection 
Illegal connections resulting in storm water being discharged to the sewer service line can overload the system during heavy rainfall events resulting in basement flooding.