A Software Engineering project focused on designing and developing a reliable, accessible, and user-centered solution for managing water pumping and dispensing in communities affected by water shortages.
- 1. Project Overview
- 2. Problem Statement
- 3. Project Vision
- 4. Project Objectives
- 5. Project Scope
- 6. Target Users and Stakeholders
- 7. Proposed Solution
- 8. Core System Features
- 9. Functional Requirements
- 10. Non-Functional Requirements
- 11. User Stories
- 12. Scrum & Agile Methodology
- 13. Team Organization
- 14. Development Workflow
- 15. Project Phases
- 16. Product Backlog
- 17. Definition of Done
- 18. System Architecture
- 19. Technology Stack
- 20. Repository Structure
- 21. Database Design
- 22. UI/UX Design
- 23. Testing Strategy
- 24. Documentation
- 25. Git & GitHub Workflow
- 26. Project Management
- 27. Project Deliverables
- 28. Project Timeline
- 29. Installation & Setup
- 30. Running the Application
- 31. Contributing
- 32. Academic Information
- 33. License
Aqua Pump is a Software Engineering project aimed at addressing challenges associated with access to and management of water in communities affected by water shortages and unreliable water infrastructure.
The initial version of Aqua Pump focuses specifically on the water pumping and dispensing system.
The system is intended to provide a structured digital platform for monitoring, managing, and interacting with water pumping and dispensing operations.
The project will be developed following the Agile Software Development methodology, specifically the Scrum framework, allowing the team to progressively analyze requirements, design the system, implement features, test functionality, and continuously improve the product based on stakeholder feedback.
Access to reliable water remains a significant challenge in many communities.
Water users may experience:
- Irregular water availability
- Long waiting times at water points
- Poorly managed pumping systems
- Lack of information about water availability
- Manual or inefficient dispensing processes
- Difficulty monitoring pump usage
- Lack of maintenance information
- Poor record keeping
- Limited visibility into water consumption
- Difficulty identifying faults or interruptions
- Inefficient communication between users and system operators
Traditional/manual approaches may make it difficult for communities, pump operators, administrators, and other stakeholders to effectively manage water resources and pumping infrastructure.
Aqua Pump aims to investigate these challenges and develop a software-based solution that improves the management and accessibility of water pumping and dispensing services.
To provide a reliable, accessible, transparent, and user-centered digital platform for managing water pumping and dispensing services in communities facing water challenges.
Aqua Pump should ultimately help stakeholders understand:
Who needs water → Where water is available → When it is available → How it is dispensed → How the pump is operating → What problems exist.
To design and develop a software system that improves the management of water pumping and dispensing operations in communities affected by water shortages.
The project aims to:
- Investigate existing water pumping and dispensing challenges.
- Identify the needs of different categories of stakeholders.
- Gather and analyze system requirements.
- Translate stakeholder needs into well-defined user stories.
- Design an intuitive and accessible user interface.
- Develop a system for managing water pumping and dispensing operations.
- Provide appropriate information to water users.
- Enable authorized personnel to monitor and manage pump operations.
- Maintain relevant operational records.
- Detect and communicate relevant system issues.
- Test the system against defined requirements.
- Evaluate the usability and effectiveness of the solution.
- Continuously improve the system using Agile/Scrum practices.
The first version of Aqua Pump will primarily focus on:
- Pump operation management
- Pump status
- Pump availability
- Pump activity records
- Pump operational information
- Water dispensing management
- Monitoring dispensing activities
- Recording dispensing transactions where applicable
- Managing water availability information
- Supporting users at water dispensing points
- User registration/authentication where required
- User roles
- Access control
- Profile management
- Management dashboard
- Pump management
- Water-point management
- User management
- Operational monitoring
- Reports/statistics
The following features may be considered for future releases:
- IoT-based pump monitoring
- Automatic water-level sensors
- Smart meters
- Mobile application
- SMS notifications
- USSD support
- Payment integration
- Predictive maintenance
- Advanced analytics
- Geographic mapping/GIS
- Multiple community management
- Real-time sensor data
- Water quality monitoring
- AI-assisted demand prediction
These features are not necessarily part of the initial Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and should only be implemented if they are approved by the team and lecturer.
Aqua Pump will consider the needs of different groups affected by water availability and pumping challenges.
- Water consumers
- Community members
- Pump operators
- Water-point attendants
- System administrators
- Community leaders
- Water management authorities
- Maintenance personnel
- Project managers
- Local authorities
- NGOs working on water access
- Community organizations
- Water infrastructure providers
- Researchers and development organizations
Requirements will be validated against the needs of these different stakeholder categories.
Aqua Pump will provide a centralized software platform through which authorized users can interact with and manage water pumping and dispensing operations.
The system will consist of appropriate interfaces for different user roles.
AQUA PUMP
|
+--------------+--------------+
| | |
USERS OPERATORS ADMIN
| | |
Water Access Pump Control Management
Information Monitoring & Reports
| | |
+--------------+--------------+
|
PUMP / WATER POINT
The exact features will be finalized after requirements elicitation and analysis.
Potential core features include:
- Registration
- Login
- Authentication
- User profiles
- Role-based access
- Current pump status
- Water availability
- Water-point information
- Availability schedules
- Pump registration
- Pump status
- Pump activation/deactivation
- Pump usage records
- Pump maintenance information
- Dispensing operations
- Water quantity records
- User/transaction records where applicable
- Dispensing history
- Pump statistics
- Water dispensing statistics
- Usage trends
- Alerts
- System status
Potential notifications for:
- Pump failure
- Water unavailability
- Maintenance
- Service interruptions
- Other important events
- Maintenance records
- Fault reporting
- Maintenance schedules
- Repair history
Functional requirements describe what the system must do.
The final functional requirements will be derived from requirements elicitation and stakeholder analysis.
Examples include:
| ID | Requirement |
|---|---|
| FR-001 | The system shall allow users to create an account where registration is required. |
| FR-002 | The system shall authenticate authorized users. |
| FR-003 | The system shall allow administrators to manage users. |
| FR-004 | The system shall display the current status of a water pump. |
| FR-005 | The system shall allow authorized operators to manage pump operations. |
| FR-006 | The system shall record relevant dispensing activities. |
| FR-007 | The system shall provide pump activity information to authorized users. |
| FR-008 | The system shall allow faults/problems to be reported. |
| FR-009 | The system shall maintain relevant operational records. |
| FR-010 | The system shall provide administrators with appropriate reports/statistics. |
Important: These are preliminary requirements. The final requirements must be validated against the results of the requirements elicitation process.
Non-functional requirements describe how well the system should operate.
The project will consider:
The system should respond to normal user actions within an acceptable amount of time.
The interface should be simple enough for users with different levels of technical literacy.
The system should consider users who may have limited technological experience and potentially limited connectivity.
The system should operate consistently and preserve important records.
The system should:
- Protect user information
- Authenticate users
- Authorize actions according to roles
- Protect sensitive data
- Prevent unauthorized access
The codebase should be structured so that features can be modified and extended easily.
The system architecture should allow additional water points, pumps, users, and communities to be supported in the future.
The system should work appropriately on the platforms and browsers defined by the project.
User stories will be used to transform stakeholder requirements into actionable development items.
As a [user], I want [function], so that [benefit].
As a water user, I want to know whether a pump is currently available so that I do not waste time going to an unavailable water point.
As a pump operator, I want to view the status of a pump so that I can identify operational problems.
As an administrator, I want to manage registered pumps so that I can maintain accurate system information.
As a maintenance personnel, I want to receive information about reported pump faults so that I can perform maintenance when necessary.
Aqua Pump will follow the Scrum framework.
The project will be developed incrementally through short development cycles called Sprints.
Each Sprint will involve:
Product Backlog
↓
Sprint Planning
↓
Sprint Backlog
↓
Development
↓
Testing
↓
Sprint Review
↓
Retrospective
↓
Product Increment
↓
Backlog Refinement
↺
The project team consists of four members.
Responsible for:
- Facilitating Scrum ceremonies
- Removing team impediments
- Ensuring Scrum practices are followed
- Coordinating team activities
- Supporting communication
- Monitoring Sprint progress
Responsible for:
- Managing the Product Backlog
- Prioritizing requirements
- Representing stakeholder needs
- Clarifying requirements
- Accepting/rejecting completed work
- Maintaining the product vision
The remaining members will collectively handle:
- Requirements analysis
- UI/UX design
- Frontend development
- Backend development
- Database development
- Testing
- Documentation
- Integration
Roles may be distributed according to the team's skills, but every member remains collectively responsible for delivering a working product increment.
Every feature should follow a controlled workflow:
Requirement
↓
User Story
↓
Acceptance Criteria
↓
Design
↓
Implementation
↓
Code Review
↓
Testing
↓
Integration
↓
Sprint Review
↓
Accepted Feature
No feature should be considered complete simply because the code has been written.
Although Scrum is iterative, the project will cover the following major areas.
Tasks:
- Define project problem
- Define project vision
- Identify stakeholders
- Define preliminary scope
- Assign team responsibilities
- Set up repository
- Project proposal
- Initial README
- Team organization
- Initial product vision
Tasks:
- Stakeholder identification
- Requirements elicitation
- Questionnaire design
- Interviews
- Observation where applicable
- Requirement analysis
- Requirement prioritization
- User story development
- Acceptance criteria
- Requirements specification
- Stakeholder analysis
- Questionnaire
- User stories
- Product backlog
Tasks:
- Analyze existing processes
- Identify system actors
- Identify use cases
- Model system interactions
- Identify constraints
- Analyze functional requirements
- Analyze non-functional requirements
- Use-case diagram
- Use-case descriptions
- Activity diagrams
- Process models
- Requirement traceability
Tasks:
- Information architecture
- User flows
- Wireframes
- Low-fidelity prototypes
- High-fidelity designs
- Responsive layouts
- Usability review
- Wireframes
- UI designs
- Prototype
- Design system/style guide
Tasks:
- System architecture
- Database design
- API design
- Component design
- Security design
- Role/access design
- Architecture diagram
- ER diagram
- Database schema
- API specification
- Component diagrams
Tasks:
- Frontend development
- Backend development
- Database implementation
- Authentication
- Core business logic
- API integration
- Error handling
Development will be performed incrementally through Sprints.
Testing will include:
- Unit testing
- Integration testing
- System testing
- User acceptance testing
- Usability testing
- Regression testing
Tasks:
- Production configuration
- Database deployment
- Application deployment
- Environment configuration
- Final testing
- Deployment documentation
Tasks:
- Evaluate objectives
- Evaluate requirements satisfaction
- Analyze test results
- Document limitations
- Document future improvements
- Prepare final presentation
- Prepare final report
The Product Backlog will contain all identified features, improvements, technical tasks, bugs, and research activities.
Example:
| ID | Epic | User Story | Priority | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US-001 | Authentication | User can log in | High | Backlog |
| US-002 | Pump Management | Operator can view pump status | High | Backlog |
| US-003 | Dispensing | System records dispensing activity | High | Backlog |
| US-004 | Administration | Admin can manage pumps | High | Backlog |
| US-005 | Notifications | User receives service notifications | Medium | Backlog |
| US-006 | Reports | Admin can view usage statistics | Medium | Backlog |
The backlog will evolve as requirements are discovered and refined.
A task/user story will only be considered Done when:
- Requirements are understood
- Acceptance criteria are defined
- Design is completed where necessary
- Implementation is completed
- Code follows project standards
- Code has been reviewed
- Relevant tests have passed
- No known critical defects remain
- Feature has been integrated
- Documentation has been updated
- Acceptance criteria have been satisfied
- Product Owner/stakeholder acceptance has been obtained where applicable
The final architecture will be determined after system analysis and technology selection.
A possible architecture is:
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ CLIENT │
│ Web / Mobile UI │
└──────────────┬──────────────┘
│
│ HTTP / HTTPS
▼
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ APPLICATION │
│ / BACKEND │
│ │
│ Authentication │
│ Business Logic │
│ Pump Management │
│ Dispensing Management │
│ User Management │
│ Notifications │
└──────────────┬──────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ DATABASE │
│ │
│ Users │
│ Pumps │
│ Water Points │
│ Dispensing Records │
│ Maintenance Records │
│ Notifications │
└─────────────────────────────┘
The technology stack will be finalized based on project requirements, team capabilities, and lecturer/project constraints.
- HTML5
- CSS3
- JavaScript
- Node.js + Express.js
- Arduino
- PlatformIO
- SQL
- SQLite3
- DB Browser for SQLite
- Git
- GitHub
- GitHub Projects
- [Testing Framework — To Be Confirmed]
- [Deployment Platform — To Be Confirmed]
Technologies should be finalized after considering system requirements rather than selecting technologies solely because they are popular.
The repository should progressively adopt a clean and maintainable structure.
Example:
aqua-pump/
│
├── README.md
├── LICENSE
├── .gitignore
│
├── docs/
│ ├── requirements/
│ │ ├── requirements-specification.md
│ │ ├── stakeholder-analysis.md
│ │ ├── questionnaire.md
│ │ └── user-stories.md
│ │
│ ├── analysis/
│ │ ├── use-cases.md
│ │ ├── activity-diagrams/
│ │ └── system-analysis.md
│ │
│ ├── design/
│ │ ├── architecture.md
│ │ ├── database-design.md
│ │ ├── api-design.md
│ │ └── ui-ux.md
│ │
│ ├── testing/
│ │ ├── test-plan.md
│ │ ├── test-cases.md
│ │ └── test-results.md
│ │
│ └── reports/
│ └── final-report.md
│
├── frontend/
│
├── backend/
│
├── database/
│
├── tests/
│
└── assets/
├── diagrams/
├── screenshots/
└── prototypes/
The exact structure may change according to the selected technology stack.
The database will be designed based on validated system requirements.
Potential entities include:
- User
- Role
- Pump
- Water Point
- Dispensing Record
- Maintenance Record
- Fault Report
- Notification
- Water Availability
- Audit Log
A final Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) will be created before database implementation is finalized.
The user interface should prioritize:
- Simplicity
- Clarity
- Accessibility
- Responsiveness
- Consistency
- Low learning curve
- Clear feedback
- Appropriate error messages
The design process will follow:
Research
↓
User Needs
↓
User Flows
↓
Wireframes
↓
Prototype
↓
Usability Feedback
↓
Final UI
↓
Implementation
Testing is an integral part of development and will not be postponed until the end of the project.
Tests individual functions/components.
Tests interactions between components or services.
Tests the complete application against system requirements.
Validates whether the system satisfies actual user/stakeholder needs.
Evaluates whether users can effectively interact with the system.
Ensures that new changes do not break existing functionality.
| Test ID | Feature | Expected Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TC-001 | Login | Valid user is authenticated | Pending |
| TC-002 | Pump Status | Correct pump status is displayed | Pending |
| TC-003 | Dispensing | Valid dispensing record is stored | Pending |
| TC-004 | Unauthorized Access | Restricted page cannot be accessed | Pending |
The project documentation should include:
- Problem statement
- Stakeholder analysis
- Requirements
- User stories
- Acceptance criteria
- Prioritization
- Use cases
- Activity diagrams
- System models
- Process analysis
- UI/UX designs
- Architecture
- Database design
- API design
- Security considerations
- Setup instructions
- Coding standards
- Architecture decisions
- API documentation
- Test strategy
- Test plan
- Test cases
- Test results
- Defect reports
- Sprint reports
- Meeting records
- Retrospectives
- Progress reports
- Final report
GitHub will be used for source-code management and team collaboration.
Example:
main
│
├── develop
│ │
│ ├── feature/user-authentication
│ ├── feature/pump-management
│ ├── feature/dispensing
│ └── feature/dashboard
│
└── release/*
The exact branching model may be adapted to the team's workflow.
Commits should be descriptive.
Examples:
feat: add pump status dashboard
fix: correct dispensing validation
docs: update requirements specification
test: add authentication test cases
refactor: improve pump service structure
style: update dashboard layout
Every significant feature should ideally be submitted through a Pull Request.
A Pull Request should:
- Clearly describe the change
- Reference the relevant issue/user story
- Be reviewed before merging
- Pass relevant tests
- Avoid unrelated changes
- Related user story
The project is expected to produce the following deliverables.
- Project proposal
- Stakeholder analysis
- Requirements elicitation questionnaire
- Requirements analysis
- Functional requirements
- Non-functional requirements
- User stories
- Acceptance criteria
- Product backlog
- Use-case diagram
- Use-case descriptions
- Activity diagrams
- System analysis
- UI/UX wireframes
- High-fidelity prototype
- System architecture
- Database/ER diagram
- API design
- Frontend
- Backend
- Database
- Authentication
- Pump management
- Dispensing management
- Administration
- Reporting/monitoring
- Test plan
- Unit tests
- Integration tests
- System tests
- User acceptance tests
- Usability tests
- Test report
- Working application
- Deployment
- User documentation
- Final report
- Final presentation
- Project demonstration
The project timeline will be organized into Sprints.
Example:
| Sprint | Main Focus | Expected Output |
|---|---|---|
| Sprint 0 | Project setup | Repository, Scrum setup, initial scope |
| Sprint 1 | Requirements | Stakeholder research, questionnaire, initial user stories |
| Sprint 2 | Requirements & Analysis | Validated requirements, backlog, use cases |
| Sprint 3 | UI/UX | Wireframes and prototype |
| Sprint 4 | System Design | Architecture and database design |
| Sprint 5 | Core Development | Initial working application |
| Sprint 6 | Pump Management | Pump-related functionality |
| Sprint 7 | Dispensing | Dispensing functionality |
| Sprint 8 | Administration | Admin functionality |
| Sprint 9 | Integration | Complete integrated system |
| Sprint 10 | Testing | System and acceptance testing |
| Sprint 11 | Refinement | Bug fixing and improvements |
| Sprint 12 | Finalization | Deployment, documentation and presentation |
Before running Aqua Pump, ensure that the required development tools are installed.
Examples:
Git
Node.js
Package Manager
SQLite3
DB Browser for SQLite
PlatformIO
Code Editor
git clone <repository-url>
cd aqua-pump# Example
npm installCreate an environment configuration file based on the project's environment template.
.env
Required variables will be documented without exposing secrets.
After installation:
# Start development server
npm run devThe exact commands will be updated according to the final technology stack.
All team members are expected to contribute according to the project's Scrum plan.
- Select an assigned task.
- Create or switch to the appropriate branch.
- Implement the feature.
- Test the implementation.
- Commit the changes.
- Push the branch.
- Create a Pull Request.
- Participate in code review.
- Address review feedback.
- Merge after approval.
All contributions should be traceable to an issue, task, or user story whenever possible.
Aqua Pump — Smart Water Pumping & Dispensing Management System
Software Engineering
Agile Software Development — Scrum
[University/Institution Name]
[Faculty/Department Name]
[Lecturer Name]
2026
| Member | Role | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|
| Member 1 | Scrum Master and Product Owner | Scrum facilitation, coordination, development, requirements, backlog, stakeholder representation |
| Member 2 | Developer | Frontend/backend/testing/documentation |
Current Status: 🟡 In Development
- Requirements elicitation
- Stakeholder research
- Questionnaire deployment
- Requirements analysis
- User story development
- Product backlog creation
- UI/UX design
- System architecture
- Implementation
- Testing
- Deployment
The status will be updated as the project progresses through its Sprints.
The project will be considered successful when:
- Stakeholder needs have been properly identified and documented.
- Requirements are clearly defined and traceable.
- The implemented system satisfies the approved requirements.
- Core pumping and dispensing workflows function correctly.
- The system is usable by its intended users.
- Appropriate security controls are implemented.
- The system passes defined testing criteria.
- The team demonstrates effective Scrum practices.
- Project documentation is complete.
- The final product can be successfully demonstrated.
Aqua Pump is not only intended to produce a working application.
The project aims to demonstrate the complete Software Engineering process:
PROBLEM
↓
STAKEHOLDERS
↓
REQUIREMENTS ELICITATION
↓
REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS
↓
USER STORIES
↓
PRODUCT BACKLOG
↓
UI / UX
↓
SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
↓
IMPLEMENTATION
↓
TESTING
↓
EVALUATION
↓
DEPLOYMENT
↓
DOCUMENTATION
↓
FINAL PRODUCT