Off-Grid Living in Saunders County, Nebraska

I've been digging through Saunders County, Nebraska's official rules for anyone thinking about going off-grid out there, and the short version is: it's doable, but you're dealing with two or three layers of government depending on exactly where your parcel sits.

Zoning is split by jurisdiction. Outside any city or village limits, Saunders County's own Zoning Regulations (adopted by the County Board of Supervisors) govern land use, and what you can do on raw land depends on the zoning district it's in, agricultural, residential estates, transitional ag, and so on. But if you're near Wahoo, Ashland, Ceresco, Yutan, or another incorporated town, that town's own zoning ordinance reaches a full mile beyond its corporate limits under state law (Neb. Rev. Stat. 17-1002), and that local ordinance overrides the county's. Always check which side of that line you're on before you plan anything.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs: I could not find county-specific language addressing tiny homes or RVs as permanent residences. The county does require a Building Permit Application for dwellings generally, so assume any structure you live in will trigger a permitting conversation with Planning & Zoning, but confirm tiny-home/RV specifics directly with that office.

Building permits are handled by the county itself (not deferred to the state), through its Planning & Zoning office, which maintains adopted codes, a floodplain application, and radon mitigation requirements. Note online copies of the zoning regs may lag behind actual amendments.

Septic: Saunders County has no county health department, so onsite wastewater systems are regulated directly by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (DEE) under Title 124. Many systems qualify for "Authorization by Rule" without a full construction permit, but registration is still required, and some site conditions trigger an actual permit. Composting toilets aren't addressed anywhere I found, county or state.

Greywater inherits the same state Title 124 framework, untreated discharge is prohibited, and reuse needs treatment and permitting. No separate county rule exists.

Rainwater harvesting has no county ordinance I could locate, and I found no state prohibition either, so this one is genuinely unclear, confirm with DEE or the county if you're planning a serious catchment system.

Wells are a bigger local wrinkle: you're in the Lower Platte North Natural Resources District (LPNNRD), which requires a well permit and, in certain areas, a variance before drilling. There are also Special Quantity Subareas straddling Butler/Saunders and Platte/Colfax counties where new or expanded irrigated acres aren't allowed. Well construction itself still has to meet state DHHS Title 178 standards.

Utilities: there's no blanket county requirement to hook up to grid power or municipal sewer that I found, but living off-grid still means satisfying building/zoning permitting plus state septic and NRD well rules, it's not an unregulated free-for-all.