Installation Guide

Prerequisites

Python 3.10 or higher and pip installed on your system.

Step 1: Clone the Repository

Download the project files and navigate into the project folder using your terminal.

Step 2: Create a Virtual Environment

Run python -m venv venv to create an isolated environment, then activate it. On macOS or Linux use source venv/bin/activate. On Windows use venv\Scripts\activate.

Step 3: Install Dependencies

Move into the water_quality_app folder and run pip install -r requirements.txt to install Flask, scikit-learn, pandas, and all other required packages.

Step 4: Configure Environment Variables

Set a SECRET_KEY for production use. By default the app uses SQLite with the database file created automatically, so no manual database setup is required for local testing. To use PostgreSQL instead, set the DATABASE_URL variable to your connection string.

Step 5: Run the Application

Start the Flask server by running python app.py from the water_quality_app directory.

Step 6: Access the App

Open your browser and go to http://127.0.0.1:5001. The database and required tables are created automatically on first run.

Step 7: Test the Prediction Form

Navigate to the Predict page, enter values for all nine water quality parameters, and submit to see the potability verdict, confidence score, and risk level.