For several weeks, sprinklers above the hanging baskets outside the visitors centre in Princes St have been triggered at 6pm, dumping water on to pedestrians and people set to board buses.
An errant timer is believed to be at fault - the sprinklers are meant to be activated at 6am.
Darlene Thomson, of Keep Dunedin Beautiful, said the group applied for funding each year to hang the baskets throughout the central business district.
Usually, the baskets were available from December to March, but this year they were made available from September because of the Rugby World Cup.
Up to 140 hanging baskets were planted and maintained by the Malcam Charitable Trust, with 100 on display in the city each season.
Contractor Dylan Neill said timers would be checked and replaced if sprinklers were springing into action at the wrong time.
