Off-Grid Living in South Berwick, Maine

I've been digging into what off-grid living actually looks like in South Berwick, Maine, and the short version is: this is a zoned town, and that shapes everything. South Berwick has a full Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 140), a Subdivision Ordinance, and a Code Enforcement Officer who wears several hats, so "off-grid" here means working within a fairly conventional permitting structure, not escaping it.

Zoning and raw land. The town's zoning code, administered by the Code Enforcement Officer, requires that any lot getting a new principal building have legal road access and meet frontage minimums (either street frontage or a deeded right-of-way at least 50 feet wide). I did not find anything in the town code addressing informal or raw-land camping as its own permitted use, so treat that as unconfirmed and ask the Code Enforcement Officer directly.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. The ordinance does spell out accessory dwelling unit rules (size caps, and options to build attached, detached, or within an existing structure), but I found no specific language on tiny homes or RVs as permanent dwellings. This is genuinely unclear from the sources I reviewed, so get a determination from the Code Enforcement Officer before you commit to either.

Building permits. South Berwick enforces the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC), a state-level requirement under 10 M.R.S.A. § 9724, and the town's own guidance is blunt that building any structure or doing demolition requires a permit issued through the Code Enforcement Officer.

Septic and composting toilets. The Code Enforcement Officer also serves as Local Plumbing Inspector and handles subsurface wastewater applications, following the state's rules (Maine CDC). New, expanded, or replacement systems need a permit, though some alternative toilets are exempted from full site evaluation. Locally, the zoning ordinance restricts unsewered lots to one dwelling per subsurface system and requires a hydrogeologic study for engineered systems.

Greywater. No town-specific greywater rule beyond the general state-administered wastewater permitting process, handled by the same Local Plumbing Inspector.

Rainwater harvesting. I found no South Berwick ordinance addressing this either way. State baseline (no dedicated permit) probably applies, but that's not confirmed at the town level.

Wells. Permitted, but before you can get a certificate of occupancy, the town requires a water quality analysis showing your well meets Maine Safe Drinking Water Guidelines, submitted to the Code Enforcement Officer.

Utility disconnection. Not explicitly addressed. One useful nugget: the town says single-family homes don't need an electrical permit or inspection (multi-unit and commercial do, through the State Electrical Office), which suggests some real flexibility for solar-only single-family setups, though that's not a formal off-grid endorsement.

Bottom line: South Berwick isn't hostile to off-grid systems, but it's a town that wants you going through its Code Enforcement Officer for nearly everything structural or water-related.