Off-Grid Living in New Fairfield, Connecticut

I've been digging into what it would actually take to live off-grid in New Fairfield, Connecticut, and the short version is: this is a zoned town, and that changes the picture a lot compared to unzoned rural counties out west.

Zoning. New Fairfield has its own Zoning Regulations, administered by the town's Zoning Commission, most recently revised in October 2025. That means what you can do with raw land, whether you can occupy a vacant parcel, minimum lot sizes, all of that is set district-by-district in those regulations. I couldn't pin down exact section numbers for raw-land occupancy in my research, so if you're eyeing a specific parcel, call the Zoning Department and ask them to walk you through your district's rules.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. I didn't find a New Fairfield-specific ordinance addressing tiny homes or RV living. Connecticut's State Building Code sets a baseline (including a small-home size threshold), but whether the town allows permanent occupancy of a tiny home or RV on your land is a local zoning call. Don't assume, ask.

Building permits. The town's Building Official enforces the State of Connecticut Building Code, permits are required for building, electrical, plumbing, and heating work, under state statutory authority. The town's own materials are blunt that unpermitted work is illegal and dangerous.

Septic and composting toilets. This one's clear: the New Fairfield Health Department, under the Director of Health, permits septic systems under the state's Public Health Code. Composting toilets aren't a way around this, the state's non-discharging systems rule still requires your lot to be tested and found suitable for a conventional subsurface sewage system as a backstop, even if you plan to use a composting toilet.

Greywater. No town-specific ordinance turned up in my research. Connecticut's Public Health Code has statewide greywater provisions (septic tank and leaching system sized proportionally), but whether New Fairfield layers anything on top is unconfirmed, ask the Health Department directly.

Rainwater harvesting. I found nothing suggesting New Fairfield restricts this beyond the state building code's general permitting process for installations. Looks permitted, but I'd confirm there's no added local wrinkle.

Wells. Well permitting and water testing run through the Health Department, under state Public Health Code standards. This is a local health authority function, not something you can skip.

Off-grid utility disconnection. Practically speaking, getting a certificate of occupancy without an approved water source and code-compliant sewage system looks unlikely here, consistent with how Connecticut towns generally operate. There's no New Fairfield exemption for full off-grid living that I could find.

Bottom line: New Fairfield isn't hostile to homesteading, but it's a regulated, zoned town where the Zoning Commission, Building Official, and Health Department all have a say before you settle in.