The mystery smell has caused waves on social media and now the Dunedin City Council says it may have an explanation.
"We believe the odour is the unfortunate consequence of a couple of factors, including the compost we’ve placed on our new plants along George Street.
"There may also be small amounts of residual gas in stormwater pipes, or the surrounding soil, which has been stirred up by our recent work to replace ageing pipes under George Street."
The council said in a statement Fire and Emergency New Zealand and Genesis had checked the area this morning and were satisfied there was no cause for concern.
"The odour may crop up again from time to time, particularly after rain, but should start to settle down again over the next few weeks," the council said.
