Off-Grid Living in Arrowsic, Maine

Arrowsic, Maine is a small coastal town midway down the Phippsburg peninsula, and like a lot of small Maine towns, it's a mix of "yes, there's a real zoning ordinance" and "no, nobody's written a rule for that specific thing yet." Here's what I found digging through the town's own documents and the state's building code roster.

Zoning. Arrowsic is NOT unzoned. The town has had its own Zoning Ordinance since 1979, amended through at least 2015, and it includes a Shoreland Zone with setbacks and a requirement that non-conforming uses near the water file a Conservation Plan with the Planning Board. That tells me the town takes zoning seriously, at least along the shore. What I couldn't confirm from the documents I reviewed is how the ordinance treats raw land occupancy or off-grid dwellings outside the shoreland zone. That's a call-the-town question.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. I found no specific Arrowsic language on tiny homes or RVs as year-round residences. This would fall under the general Zoning Ordinance and be interpreted by whoever holds the Code Enforcement Officer role for the town. Don't assume either way; ask before you buy land or move a structure in.

Building codes. Here's a genuinely useful find: Arrowsic appears on the state's list of towns with "No Enforcement Obligation of Any Kind" under the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC). That means the state doesn't require Arrowsic to adopt or enforce MUBEC. It does not necessarily mean there's zero local permitting, small towns often still require a building permit through the Town Office even without adopting the full state code. Confirm what's actually required before you build.

Septic and greywater. No Arrowsic-specific rule stood out. Both fall under Maine's statewide Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules, administered through a Local Plumbing Inspector or the state DHHS/Maine CDC when a town doesn't have one. Composting toilets and greywater systems are handled the same way, permitted under the state rule.

Rainwater harvesting. I found nothing at the town or state level specific to Arrowsic. That's a gap, not a green light, worth a direct question to the town.

Wells. No town-specific well ordinance turned up. Standard Maine well drilling rules apply statewide.

Utility disconnection. No ordinance explicitly addresses living off the grid or disconnected from utilities. It's likely swept in indirectly through septic, well, and building permit requirements, but I can't point to specific text confirming that.

My honest bottom line: Arrowsic has real zoning and takes shoreland conservation seriously, but a lot of the off-grid specifics (tiny homes, rainwater, full utility disconnection) simply aren't spelled out in what's publicly available. A phone call to the Town Office or Code Enforcement Officer will save you a lot of guesswork.