Off-Grid Living in Somers, Connecticut

If you're dreaming of buying raw land in Somers, Connecticut and going off-grid, I want to walk you through what I found in my research, because Somers is a fully zoned town, not a rural free-for-all.

Zoning is administered by the Somers Zoning Commission under Connecticut's state enabling law (C.G.S. Chapter 124). The residential districts (Residential A, A-1, A-2) are described as protecting the town's rural and agricultural character, but that doesn't mean anything goes. The regulations state that only one principal building may sit on a lot in residential zones, so a bare-bones "just build a cabin and see" approach isn't going to fly without going through the Zoning Enforcement office.

Dwellings, tiny homes, and RVs: the zoning code specifically calls out "trailers" (which includes travel trailers, park trailers, and camper trailers under 22 feet) as a distinct category, separate from standard dwellings. That tells me RVs and many tiny homes on wheels aren't treated as an as-of-right permanent residence here. You'd want to check the district use tables directly with Zoning Enforcement before assuming you can live in one long-term.

Building permits: Somers' Building Department enforces the Connecticut State Building Code, with inspections at each phase and a Certificate of Occupancy required before you can legally live in a structure. This is a state-mandated process administered locally.

Septic: Connecticut's Public Health Code (Section 19-13-B103) governs septic design statewide, but the Somers Health Department, through the Director of Health/Sanitarian, is the one issuing your actual construction permit locally. I didn't find anything in Somers' materials specifically addressing composting toilets as a standalone system, so that's a "confirm directly with the Health Department" situation.

Greywater reuse: I found no Somers-specific rule, and no clear statewide standard either. This one's genuinely unclear, so ask the Health Department before you build any greywater system.

Rainwater harvesting looks fine. This falls under the state building code (Section 1303) and I didn't turn up any Somers-specific restriction, just the normal permitting through the Building Department.

Wells: governed statewide by DPH Public Health Code Section 19-13-B51, with local water-quality test review by the Director of Health. Somers' Land Use Department is your contact point for well questions alongside septic and building matters.

Off-grid utility disconnection: because a Certificate of Occupancy is required, and that typically depends on approved water supply and sewage disposal, living totally disconnected (no septic, no well or water hookup) is going to be an uphill fight in Somers, same as most of Connecticut.

Bottom line: Somers isn't hostile to off-grid living, but it's not hands-off either. Every dimension routes back through either the Somers Land Use Department or the state health code. Call before you buy land.