An unfortunate fecal mishap and a mechanical malfunction prompted Portland officials Friday to abruptly close a pair of public pools, bringing the number of shuttered city aquatic centers to four amid a sizzling heatwave.

Portland Parks & Recreation had to boot people from the Sellwood Outdoor Pool after a person defecated in the water, city officials told The Oregonian/OregonLive. Meanwhile, an HVAC issue at the Southwest Community Center near Gabriel Park forced staff to shut down the indoor pool there as well as the city’s high temperature topped 95 degrees.

“Unfortunately, when somebody poops in the pool, you have to close it for 24 hours,” said Kellie Torres, chief of staff for Portland’s new Vibrant Communities service area, which oversees the city’s Parks Bureau.

Torres said the indoor pool in Southwest Portland was also expected to reopen Saturday.

Weather forecasts show a sweltering next several days in the Portland area that could see highs climb above 100 degrees. Daily high temperatures in the city are not expected to drop below 90 degrees until Wednesday.

The latest pool closures means that a third of the city’s 12 indoor and outdoor pools aren’t open during the hottest days on record this year.

Two other Portland outdoor pools already closed before the city’s scorching heat sent scores of residents looking for ways to cool off.

Montavilla Outdoor Pool will remain closed until July 22, “due to a planned upgrade to the pool’s plumbing that required a more complex solution to achieve federal compliance,” the city said in a recent press release.

And on Monday, city officials announced that Pier Pool in North Portland would close for an indeterminate amount of time “due to a significant water line failure.”

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh covers Portland city government and politics, with a focus on accountability and watchdog reporting.

Reach him at 503-294-7632

Email at skavanaugh@oregonian.com

Follow on Twitter @shanedkavanaugh

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