CHARLESTOWN — Councilmen James M. Mageau and Bruce W. Picard have founded a nonprofit organization to fight new state wastewater regulations.

The Coastal Coalition of Taxpayers and Voters Inc. was officially set up last Thursday by Mageau, Picard and Jonathan L. Smith –– the son of local developers John F. and Evelyn J. Smith –– for the “preservation and protection of private property rights and the environment or [any other] constitutional issue that may come before the board of directors.”

Mageau said the group will focus, at least initially, on the new wastewater regulations that went into effect on Jan. 1.

Under those regulations, property owners near the Narrow River or the salt ponds would have to install denitrification systems in new construction, renovations, repairs to the system addressing leach-field expansion or replacement, or if the existing septic system fails.

The state cesspool phaseout, which is expected to go into effect this summer, would require all cesspools to be replaced by 2013.

That change is not expected to have a significant impact in Charlestown as the town’s wastewater ordinance already requires all cesspools to be replaced by May 2009.

Listed as members of the board of directors are Mageau, Smith, John Rosa, George Werrbach, and Paul Smith of Charlestownas well as Michael Counihan and Stephen Garnett of South Kingstown.

Mageau said there are about 40 initial members from the Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown and Narragansett region –– the towns that fall within the Salt Ponds Salt Pond Critical Resource Area affected by the state wastewater regulations that went into effect on Jan. 1.

The group is expected to adopt its bylaws next week, Mageau said.

Mageau and Picard attempted twice to challenge the regulations by asking the council to hire a consultant to review the regulations and sue the state Department of Environmental Management.

Mageau said he intends to raise the issue again at the council’s next meeting.