Off-Grid Living in Millbury, Massachusetts

I've been digging into what off-grid living actually looks like in Millbury, Massachusetts, and the short version is: this is a zoned town, not a rural free-for-all, so anything you want to do with land, a dwelling, or utilities here runs through local boards layered on top of state rules.

Zoning. Millbury has its own zoning bylaw, first adopted back in 1978 and amended many times since, administered by the Planning Board and a Zoning Board of Appeals (five members plus associate members, appointed by the Select Board). The town has Residential, Suburban, Business, and Industrial Districts, each with different densities and expectations about public utility service. Where your land sits in that map matters a lot, so I'd start there before assuming you can do anything off-grid on it.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. The town has been actively revising its dwelling definitions in recent town meetings, which tells me zoning enforcement here is not sleepy. I could not confirm a specific rule on living in an RV or a minimum size for tiny homes, so treat that as an open question for the Building Inspector or Planning Board, not something I can promise is allowed.

Building permits and code. Massachusetts runs a statewide building code, 780 CMR, and in Millbury the Building Inspector (appointed annually by the Town Manager) enforces it, plus the zoning provisions in the town's bylaws. Any permanent structure, and probably any wiring or plumbing work, needs a permit and inspection, with fees set by the Select Board.

Septic and composting toilets. Massachusetts' Title 5 (310 CMR 15.00) is the statewide septic standard, and Millbury has formally adopted it as local regulation, with its Board of Health handling permits, percolation testing, and installer licensing. I didn't find any town-specific composting toilet allowance, so Title 5's state framework is what governs here.

Greywater and rainwater. I found nothing in Millbury's bylaws addressing either one specifically. That's not the same as "prohibited," it just means the town hasn't carved out its own rule, so you'd be relying on state guidance and should ask the Board of Health directly before setting anything up.

Wells. The Board of Health clearly has jurisdiction over septic and water infrastructure permitting in town, and by extension likely covers private wells, but I couldn't pin down a specific Millbury well-siting regulation, so confirm specifics with them.

Off-grid utilities. There's no bylaw I found that forces you to connect to the grid, but any electrical work, solar included, has to satisfy the state Electrical Code (527 CMR 12) as enforced by Millbury's Wiring Inspector.

Bottom line: state rules set the floor, Millbury's boards set real conditions on top, and several details (RVs, greywater, rainwater, well siting) just aren't spelled out publicly, so a phone call before you buy land or build is worth it.