A wildlife charity is worried it may lose a funding grant after a burst water pipe caused flooding at Long Mead Local Wildlife Site in Swinford, Oxfordshire. This is the fourth time the area has been affected by a mains water failure. While the meadow near the River Thames naturally floods in winter, standing water during the summer can be harmful to the rare habitat. Thames Water has confirmed that the latest leak has been fixed and that it is committed to protecting local wildlife areas. Catriona Bass, director of the Long Mead Foundation, expressed concern that the water is beginning to stagnate, which poses a serious threat to the site. Floodplain meadows are adapted to winter flooding when the plants are not growing, but summer flooding is damaging because it can kill the plants that are actively growing. The Long Mead meadow is a key part of a restoration program aimed at increasing this rare habitat across Oxfordshire. Floodplain meadows are extremely rare in the UK, with only about four square miles remaining—roughly the size of Heathrow Airport. These meadows support unique plant species like great burnet and devil's-bit scabious, which have deep roots that help stabilize the soil. The Long Mead meadow acts as a seed source for restoring other similar habitats in the area. Volunteers have already grown over 11,500 specialist plants by hand to aid in these restoration efforts. The latest flooding was discovered on the day restoration work was set to begin after the last incident. Conservationists are worried that a grant the charity secured may be at risk if the restoration work isn't completed on time. Bass had planned to start the major restoration project on September 1st, but this has now been delayed. A Thames Water spokesperson apologized for the disruption and confirmed that a recent burst in Bettys Meadow has been fixed. They noted that the repair took longer than expected due to heavy rainfall and high water levels, which prevented engineers from safely accessing the area. Thames Water will continue to monitor the condition of the water main and consider further actions to protect the area in the future.