Off-Grid Living in Greene County, Pennsylvania

I'll be upfront: Greene County, Pennsylvania is one of those places where the county government does less than you'd think, and your township does a lot more. There's no countywide zoning ordinance here. That's a big deal if you're planning an off-grid build, because it means the rules that actually govern what you can put on your land, and how, depend almost entirely on which township your parcel sits in.

Zoning is handled township by township. The Greene County Planning Commission runs the county's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) and does county-level planning and mapping, but it explicitly points developers to the zoning officer of the applicable municipality for zoning approval. Some townships, like Franklin Township and Greene Township, have adopted their own zoning ordinances published through eCode360/American Legal. Others may have none at all. You have to check with your specific township.

Dwellings, tiny homes, and RVs: I found nothing at the county level addressing this. It's entirely a township matter, tied to whatever zoning or building ordinance (if any) that township has adopted.

Building permits and codes follow Pennsylvania's statewide Uniform Construction Code (UCC), which the state requires builders to follow, but which over 90% of PA municipalities administer themselves (or through a third-party agency). Greene County doesn't run a countywide building department, so you need to find out whether your township has opted in or out of local UCC enforcement, using the PA Department of Labor & Industry's UCC page.

Septic systems are governed by the state's Sewage Facilities Act (Act 537), but permits are issued only by a certified Sewage Enforcement Officer employed by your specific township. No local agency can bypass this. Composting toilets aren't separately addressed in anything I found for Greene County, so the state baseline likely applies, but confirm with your township SEO.

Greywater isn't addressed locally either. State code (25 Pa. Code Chapter 72) bars permits for on-lot systems that discharge greywater straight to the ground or surface water, so untreated greywater disposal is a state-level restriction that would apply here absent a DEP-approved system.

Rainwater harvesting has no Greene County-specific rule that I could find. The county Conservation District's erosion and stormwater programs concern construction runoff, not household rainwater catchment, so this is a genuine gap in the record.

Private wells are actually one area with real county involvement: the Greene County Health Department's Environmental Health Sanitarians inspect private wells, cisterns, springs and hauled-water systems and test for bacteria. Some townships also require their own well permits, so check both levels.

Utility disconnection (living without grid power, water, or sewer) isn't addressed at the county level. It comes down to whatever occupancy rules your township has, and I found no Greene County township source confirming either requirement or exemption.