Water pollution is a global issue that has an impact on the entire ecosystems’ life cycles. Traditional sampling and laboratory testing techniques are labor-intensive and error-prone, making them ineffective for quickly detecting changes in water quality. This paper presents the development of a low-cost, portable and efficient prototype sensor-based system for monitoring water quality in real-time. The system consists of a microcontroller, temperature, turbidity, pH, and distance sensors, and an application for a visual representation of the data. Extensive testing was carried out to ensure uninterrupted operation. The prototype is a user-friendly sensor system that can be positioned close to the target area in order to assist in preventing environmental and biological harm. This can ensure safe, healthy, and sustainable water supplies for the communities, environment, and the economy. Continuous monitoring of water parameters can also help avoid critical situations. The experimental results demonstrate a successful development of a smart water quality monitoring system with potential applications in various scenarios.