I'm not even convinced they don't like water. My cats sure jump down from the table in a hurry if I spray them with a spray bottle, but then they jump right back up a minute later. I think they like the game more than they dislike being sprayed, sadly.
I actually am a little tempted to blow some time implementing something similar this weekend, because an unknown animal keeps leaving droppings in my backyard at random times. I'm less annoyed with that specifically, and more just curious about the phantom pooper in general. And, well, by the time I have the pictures figured out.. I have a Rachio, which means I can turn the sprinklers on through an API call anyway.