Off-Grid Living in Arundel, Maine

I've spent a while digging through Arundel, Maine's Land Use Ordinance and the town's Code Enforcement pages, and here's the honest picture for anyone thinking about going off-grid there.

Zoning comes first, and it's the strict kind. Arundel is fully zoned under its Land Use Ordinance (adopted 2017, amended through 2023), administered by the Town's Code Enforcement Office. The important detail: this is a "permissive" ordinance. That means any land use not specifically listed as permitted or conditional in a given zoning district is prohibited outright. So before you buy raw land with a plan to live off-grid on it, you need to check which district it sits in and confirm your intended use (dwelling, camping vehicle, etc.) is actually listed. Don't assume "not prohibited" means allowed here, it's the opposite by default.

Dwellings, tiny homes, and RVs get their own layer of complexity. Arundel has a separate Camping Vehicle ordinance that deals with RV and camper occupancy, apart from standard dwelling rules. I did not find a clear tiny-home classification in the materials I reviewed, so if that's your plan, call the Code Enforcement Office directly and ask how they'd classify your structure.

Building permits are required and locally enforced. The Code Enforcement Office handles the Land Use Ordinance, building codes, and State Plumbing Rules together. Arundel is also on the list of towns that must enforce the Maine Uniform Building & Energy Code.

Septic and greywater are handled at the state level under Maine's Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules, but permits are issued locally by Arundel's Local Plumbing Inspector (housed in Code Enforcement). Composting and alternative toilets have some exceptions built into the state rules, but pit privies are treated differently, so ask specifically about your setup. Greywater reuse falls under this same state framework, and I didn't find any Arundel-specific greywater restriction on top of it.

Rainwater harvesting isn't addressed anywhere I could find in Arundel's ordinance. That doesn't mean it's banned, it means it's simply not confirmed either way at the town level.

Private wells appear to run on state rules without additional town-specific restrictions, based on what's published.

Full utility disconnection is the murkiest one. I found no explicit ordinance banning off-grid utility living, but between the mandatory building/septic permitting and the "must conform to district" language in the zoning code, going fully disconnected is going to bump into paperwork requirements even if it's not directly forbidden. Confirm your specific plan with Code Enforcement before committing.

Bottom line: Arundel isn't hostile to off-grid living, but its zoning code is unforgiving toward undefined or unlisted uses, so the paperwork and phone calls matter more than usual here.