Precision Drainage Engineering Project in the Village of Willowbrook

This Willowbrook property sits at one of the lowest points in the neighborhood — surrounded by homes and yards that all slope toward it. For years, heavy rainfall meant one thing: flooding. The water had nowhere to go. Fixing that kind of problem isn’t simple; it’s not a one-size-fits-all drainage job. It’s a precision-engineered system requiring exact grading, flow control, and balance between soil elevation and water velocity.

Here’s how our team transformed it:

• Rebuilt the landscape foundation by installing 2 timbers for slope stabilization, adding 4 yards of soil and 3 six-foot clump crabapple trees for structure and shade, and finishing with 1.5 yards of mulch for root protection.
• Overhauled the backyard drainage system by removing dense weed growth, regrading the surface from the storm drain to the fence, and installing 280 rolls of sod for immediate stability.
• Constructed a custom swale — 77 feet long and 8 feet wide — curving east and turning north beyond the home’s corner, hauling out 6 cubic yards of soil, extending the 12-inch NDS poly drain line by 40 feet, and completing it with 70 rolls of sod for erosion control.

Result: What used to be a floodplain is now a fully functioning water management system – directing runoff away from the property, protecting the foundation, and turning a problem yard into a lush, usable landscape. This wasn’t just landscaping — it was precision drainage engineering, custom-built for one of the most challenging low-lying properties in Willowbrook.

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Tommy Pollina Landscape Company – serving Chicagoland since 1982.