Off-Grid Living in Harrison, Maine

I've been digging into Harrison, Maine for folks thinking about living off-grid there, and the short version is: Harrison is a real, zoned town, not one of those "unorganized territory" spots where you can just plant a cabin and go quiet. That doesn't mean off-grid life is off the table, it just means you'll be working with the town's Code Enforcement Office rather than around it.

Zoning. Harrison has its own Shoreland Zoning Ordinance, which applies statewide-mandated buffers near water, plus a Building Permit Requirements Ordinance that, by its own language, applies to all land in town. I couldn't confirm a separate comprehensive parcel zoning map beyond the shoreland zone and the Bear River Aquifer Protection area, so outside those zones, land use control seems to run mainly through the building permit process itself.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. I didn't find a dedicated Harrison ordinance for tiny homes or RVs as dwellings. The general Building Permit Requirements Ordinance covers structures townwide, and the permit application asks about water supply and sewage disposal type. If you're planning something unconventional, I'd call the Code Enforcement Office directly before you buy land or build.

Building permits. These are required townwide, issued by the Code Enforcement Officer (currently Jim Fahey), who by ordinance has to decide on a complete application within a set window. Note that a building permit is separate from plumbing and septic permits, so plan on more than one approval.

Septic and composting toilets. Handled through Maine's statewide Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules, administered locally by Harrison's Local Plumbing Inspector, who happens to also be Jim Fahey in his other hat. A permit is required before you install any plumbing fixtures or piping, composting toilets included, so this isn't a DIY-and-forget situation.

Greywater. I found no Harrison-specific greywater ordinance. It appears to run through the same state subsurface wastewater rules and the same local permitting office as septic.

Rainwater harvesting. Genuinely not confirmed either way in what I could find, no town ordinance or state rule addressing it turned up. I'd ask the Code Enforcement Office directly if this is central to your plan.

Wells. Private wells are permitted, and the town's building permit application just asks you to disclose whether your water supply is private or public. Actual well construction and testing standards come from the state's Water Well Commission rules, not a Harrison ordinance.

Full utility disconnection. There's no standalone "off-grid" category in Harrison's code. Your setup gets captured indirectly, through the building permit's water supply and sewage disposal disclosures and Code Enforcement review, rather than through any dedicated off-grid rule.

Bottom line: Harrison expects you to get a building permit and a separate septic/plumbing permit no matter how disconnected you intend to live, and the same one office handles most of it. I'd start there before making any land purchase.