Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Services announced on Friday that East Beach is fully open for recreational water use after an untreated sewage spill into Mission Creek prompted a closure in December.

County Health Department officials on Dec. 24 issued a recreational water use closure for the areas 1/4-mile east to 1/8-mile west of the Mission Creek outfall after 4,500 gallons of untreated sewage spilled into the area. The spill happened during a major rainstorm.

According to officials, the closure had to remain in place until water quality tests showed acceptable levels.

Environmental Health Services had already performed a test shortly after the rain stopped, but that test came back with levels of contamination higher than the state allows.

The agency said recent tests show that the East Beach ocean is now safe for visitors.

The December sewage spill was caused by a pump bypass failure on the 2700 block of De la Vina Street, according to Santa Barbara city officials.

A pump installed as part of the De La Vina Bridge Project failed after heavy rainwater exceeded the pump’s capabilities, according to Thomas Welche, the city’s wastewater system manager. The pump system has since been adjusted to handle more water.

Beyond sewage, stormwater runoff — untreated rainwater — can cause health problems such as rashes, fever, chills, ear infections, vomiting and diarrhea, officials said. Community members are generally asked to avoid creeks, oceans and other waterways in the three days immediately following rainfall.