The installation of a Continuous Operating Reference Station (CORS) or base station at the Water Authority of Fiji’s (WAF) Wailoku Depot, makes the authority the first corporate service-delivery organisation in Fiji to own such a base station.
The base station has a static GPS receiver that collects accurate, repeatable, continuous data 24/7 that can be used for real-time applications and was installed by GeoSystems New Zealand Ltd.
GPS uses satellite technology and ground receivers to pinpoint geographic locations with an accuracy of anywhere between 100 to 10 meters for most equipment.
“This provides WAF with greatly-increased location precision and accuracy, compared with the results obtained by uncorrected GPS receivers,” WAF chief executive officer Opetaia Ravai said.
“It also speeds up the process of uploading GPS-captured data into WAF’s Geographical Information Systems (GIS).
“Before WAF relied on data collection by other organisations, resulting in delays in uploading information.”
“WAF needs to be able to fast-track the updating of its data, and this state-of-the-art equipment will enable the WAF staff to carry out their responsibilities more efficiently and effectively,” he added.
Mr Ravai said the investment was part of WAF’s efforts to improve service delivery to the people of Fiji.