The Facebook post encouraging people to pitch in when rain threatened reached more than 67,000 people, the Dunedin City Council said.
Not all were amused by the council’s messaging and some replies from the council, including a gif featuring a clown shrugging, seemed to grate.
"Maybe instead of smart replies to genuine concern on social media, you could actively manage the maintenance of these mud tanks like you are paid to," Aaron Bray suggested.
Anni Julitha Watkins was keen to get across the council had merely said people could help it, not that they should or must.
Scott Campbell said the council’s attempt at humour had "gone down the drain".
Annie Tangata expected people complaining might be the same ones who moaned about ratepayer dollars being wasted.
"They’d rather whinge at the council and tell them they aren’t doing their job, than pitch in 60 seconds of their own time so their own street doesn’t flood."
Steve Lucas was dismayed by some of the responses.
"Yeah we pay rates, but let’s consider taking a little bit of community responsibility too."
The post itself featured an unnamed council staffer.
"At first I was nervous, worrying I’d do it wrong or that the leaves would just wash back into the grate, destroying the universe," the staffer was quoted as saying.
"Amazingly though, just two or three shovels later the grate was clear and water was flowing where it should — and not where it shouldn’t — and the Earth was still in a stable orbit.
"I’d encourage everyone to give it a go."
Asked about the council’s messaging, a spokesman said contractors did carry out regular street sweeping and maintenance to keep mud tank grates clear, as well as preparing for storms.
"However, the reality is they can’t be everywhere at once," he said.
"We therefore took a slightly tongue-in-cheek and engaging approach on social media to get the message out and encourage residents to also help out where they could."
The post had reached people who might not tune in to council communications and had successfully promoted its "adopt a mud tank" message.
