EVERY child in Oxford will be given the chance to learn more about the city’s sewage system as Thames Water expands its education programme.

The company wants to help more young people understand the journey water makes when it leaves their homes and is offering schools the chance to visit its treatment works for exclusive guided tours.

The target to reach every school-age child in the region was announced as part of the company’s £11.7bn business plan for 2020-25 which was published earlier this year.

Its education programme includes hosting on-site school visits and giving talks in classrooms as well as giving schools access to online resources, to help teachers explain what happens to water – and the rest – when it enters the pipes.

Paul Hampton, Thames Water’s education manager, said: “It’s essential for us to engage with the next generation of customers and our education centres are a great way to inspire them about the wonderful world of water.

“Young people are fascinated to find out where the stuff they flush down the toilet goes, and the feedback we get from visits is always overwhelmingly positive.

“We’d love more schools to take advantage of what we can offer them.”

Since 2015, more than 11,000 school children have visited Thames Water’s education centres, including the one in Didcot, to learn about the secret life of the sewers in interactive workshops and exclusive tours of the treatment works.

The facility, in Basil Hill Road, treats waste water from around 37,000 people in and around the town.

It is notable as being the first site in the UK to generate gas from human sewage.

When it was launched in 2010, the £2.5million project aimed to eventually supply enough gas to power 200 homes.

This year Thames Water has hosted several open-days at the treatment works in the hope that it will help to raise awareness of the problems caused by un-flushable items such as wipes, which regularly clog up machinery and block pipes.

Thames Water has also been awarded the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) quality badge, which is a trusted accreditation in giving children the opportunity to experience life and lessons safely beyond classroom walls.

Kim Somerville, chief executive officer at LOtC, said: “We want more schools to take learning beyond the classroom walls but understand that can be a daunting prospect for time-strapped schools.

“Our LOtC Quality Badge provides peace of mind for teachers. We are pleased that the Department for Education has recognised the value of this accreditation and is encouraging schools to seek it out when planning their educational trips and visits.”