The Cape Town Municipality’s water department has, says Rowan Alexander, Director of Alexander Swart Property, been reasonably efficient in keeping track of water consumption and penalising those who do not comply with the new rulings limiting water usage.

Today’s ruling by the Constitutional Court means that new home owners will no longer have to worry about being held liable for historical debt incurred by previous owners, and having their municipal services cut off as a result, or possibly even having their property attached and sold in execution.