Off-Grid Living in Barkhamsted, Connecticut

I've been digging into what it would actually take to live off-grid in Barkhamsted, Connecticut, and the short version is: this is a zoned town, and that shapes everything else.

Zoning. Barkhamsted has had a Planning and Zoning Commission and a Zoning Board of Appeals since 1969, operating under state authority (Connecticut General Statutes Chapters 124 and 126) and codified locally in Chapter 193 of the Town Code. The Building & Zoning Department handles permits for accessory structures, additions, signs, driveways, home businesses, and wetlands work. There's no way around zoning review if you're putting a structure on raw land here.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. I didn't find a Barkhamsted-specific ordinance addressing tiny houses or RVs-as-residences directly. What I did find is that the same Zoning Department that handles variances and special exceptions would be the gatekeeper for anything unconventional. Treat this as restricted until you've confirmed your specific setup with them.

Building permits. Barkhamsted adopts the Connecticut State Building Code (plus state amendments) rather than writing its own from scratch. The Building & Zoning Department issues permits for just about everything: roofing, wood stoves, LP gas, electrical, plumbing, sheds, and more. One detail worth flagging: under state law (CGS § 7-148(c)(2)(B)), the town's Building Official can't issue a permit if there are delinquent property taxes on the parcel.

Septic and water supply. Before zoning will approve a permit, you need written sign-off from the Health Officer on both sewage disposal and water supply plans. Locally that runs through the Barkhamsted Health Department, which requires soils testing and a full septic design before applying for a new system. The Farmington Valley Health District is also referenced in the zoning code as serving the town, so I'd confirm with the town directly which agency is currently handling your file. I found nothing official addressing composting toilets specifically, so that's genuinely unclear.

Greywater. No dedicated Barkhamsted or Connecticut state greywater ordinance turned up in my research. This is an unclear area, worth a direct call to the Health Officer.

Rainwater harvesting. Connecticut's State Building Code (Section 1303) addresses rainwater collection, and I found nothing suggesting Barkhamsted has layered on extra restrictions. This looks permitted under the state baseline.

Wells. Same pathway as septic, the Health Officer has to approve your water supply plan before zoning signs off. That means a private well isn't a quiet, permit-free option here.

Off-grid utility disconnection. There's no explicit ban I found, but because zoning permits require Health Officer approval of both water and sewage plans, getting a certificate of occupancy effectively means code-compliant well and septic systems (or an approved equivalent). Fully disconnected living exists in a gray zone that hasn't been tested in any document I found.

Bottom line: Barkhamsted isn't hostile to off-grid living, but it isn't hands-off either. Every path runs through the Building & Zoning Department and the town's health authority.