Off-Grid Living in Groton, Connecticut

I'll be upfront: Groton, Connecticut is not a place where you can quietly settle onto raw land and go fully off-grid without anyone noticing. The Town of Groton (distinct from the separately-governed City of Groton, which runs its own zoning and building department) has been a zoned municipality since 1957, recodified in 1987, and its Planning and Zoning Commission expects every use of land, including where and how you build a home, to conform to the zoning district it sits in.

Zoning and raw land. The Town's Planning division oversees comprehensive zoning and environmental review, and occupying raw land without an approved dwelling or use isn't permitted under the current regulations. If you're eyeing a parcel, call the Zoning office before you buy.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. Any dwelling needs a Zoning/Building Permit through the Town's Office of Planning and Development Services (OPDS). I did not find anything in the regulations specifically addressing tiny homes or RVs as permanent residences, so treat that as unresolved and ask the Zoning Enforcement Officer directly.

Building codes. The Inspection Services division enforces the state building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical codes alongside local zoning, and a Certificate of Occupancy is the end goal of that process.

Septic and wells. This one's important: Groton doesn't run its own health department for this. Septic systems and private wells fall under Ledge Light Health District, the regional local health authority, which issues the permits for constructing or altering a subsurface sewage disposal system or a well. Behind that sits the state's Public Health Code (technical standards administered by the Connecticut Department of Public Health), which sets the technical baseline Ledge Light applies.

Greywater. Connecticut's Public Health Code does reference "gray water systems" for sinks, tubs, and laundry separately from toilet waste, but I found no Groton-specific ordinance layered on top. Treat this as governed by the state baseline until Ledge Light or the Town says otherwise.

Rainwater harvesting. No Groton-specific restriction turned up in my research; it appears to fall under whatever the state building code allows generally. Not confirmed beyond that.

Utilities. There's no carve-out I found that lets you skip a code-compliant water source and sewage disposal system. Because Certificates of Occupancy hinge on having both, going fully "disconnected" while still occupying a permitted dwelling is going to be an uphill fight.

Bottom line: Groton is a fully zoned town where dwelling, septic, and well decisions all run through named authorities, either Town OPDS or the regional Ledge Light Health District, and the honest answer on a few specifics (RVs as residences, local greywater or rainwater rules) is that I couldn't confirm them and you should ask directly.