The New York blurb seems hilariously off the mark. Well water and septic systems are pretty much the norm around here, and it's solidly suburban to semi-rural. Yeah, NY is strict relative to many states, but it makes it sound like you need some super special variance to have off-grid water and sewage.

Also plenty of people up north have rather lax opinions about code enforcement. Been to many off-grid residences where code enforcement is a quick glance and a tire kick.