Off-Grid Living in Adams County, Washington

Adams County, Washington is one of the rarer rural Washington counties that actually has countywide zoning, which changes the off-grid calculus a bit compared to counties with no zoning at all. Everything below covers unincorporated Adams County. If you're looking at land inside Othello, Ritzville, Lind, Hatton, or Washtucna, those towns run their own permitting (Ritzville uses county plan review but city submittal, Lind/Hatton/Washtucna route through the county Building Department but need town sign-off first).

Zoning and raw land. The Adams County Planning Division maintains the county's zoning code and Comprehensive Plan (Titles 16-18 of the Adams County Code). What you're allowed to do with vacant land depends entirely on which zone it sits in, and non-standard occupancy may need a special use permit or zoning verification. I'd call Planning before buying anything you plan to camp or build on informally.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. Manufactured homes have a path here, including older units, but they may need a Department of Labor & Industries fire/life-safety inspection if moved in from elsewhere. I could not confirm a specific county policy on RVs or tiny-houses-on-wheels as permanent residences, so treat that as an open question for the Building Division.

Building codes. The county Building Division enforces the Washington State Building Code (RCW 19.27), currently the 2021 state codes, with some local amendments Adams County is allowed to make under RCW 19.27.040. Permits are required, and the county building official won't issue one unless plans meet code, full stop.

Septic and composting toilets. Adams County Environmental Health administers the state's on-site sewage rules (WAC 246-272A) locally, reviewing septic suitability, inspecting installations, and following up on complaints. Composting toilets fall under this same state-delegated framework, so run your setup by them.

Greywater. This is genuinely murky. Washington's WAC 246-274 sets a statewide greywater reuse standard, but local health jurisdictions had to formally adopt it or they default back to the stricter 246-272A rules. I found nothing confirming which path Adams County took, so this is a direct-call question for Environmental Health.

Rainwater harvesting. No county-specific rule turned up in my research. The state's general approach (non-potable rainwater use usually doesn't require a water right) likely applies, but whether the county building code adds plumbing or cross-connection requirements isn't confirmed.

Wells and water rights. There's no separate Adams County water authority. The Washington Department of Ecology's Eastern Region office handles water rights and well compliance here, and watermasters are active in the county, particularly around the Columbia River. The standard state domestic well exemption (RCW 90.44.050) applies as a baseline.

Full utility disconnection. Not addressed as its own topic. In practice, going off-grid entirely means clearing the same building, septic, and water-adequacy hurdles described above, plus staying clear of Code Enforcement, which works complaint-based off resident-filed forms.