diff --git a/ui/src/components/SystemControls.js b/ui/src/components/SystemControls.js
index eeaab88..c94fdb3 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/SystemControls.js
+++ b/ui/src/components/SystemControls.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { Button } from 'react-bootstrap';
 import { useWaterPumpAPI } from '../contexts/WaterPumpAPIContext';
 import { useNotificationsSystem } from '../contexts/NotificationsContext.js';
 
+// TODO: convert handlers to redux actions. They should update the system status.
 export function SystemControlsComponent({ pouringTime, systemStatus }) {
   const waterPump = useWaterPumpAPI().API;
   const NotificationsSystem = useNotificationsSystem();
diff --git a/ui/src/contexts/WaterPumpAPIContext.js b/ui/src/contexts/WaterPumpAPIContext.js
index 6f91141..aff1fac 100644
--- a/ui/src/contexts/WaterPumpAPIContext.js
+++ b/ui/src/contexts/WaterPumpAPIContext.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import { useSelector } from 'react-redux';
 import { CWaterPumpAPI } from '../api/CWaterPumpAPI.js';
+import WaterPumpStatusProvider from './WaterPumpStatusProvider.js';
 
 const WaterPumpAPIContext = React.createContext();
 
@@ -18,7 +19,9 @@ export function WaterPumpAPIProvider({ children }) {
   const value = { API: apiObject, };
   return (
     <WaterPumpAPIContext.Provider value={value}>
-      {children}
+      <WaterPumpStatusProvider>
+        {children}
+      </WaterPumpStatusProvider>
     </WaterPumpAPIContext.Provider>
   );
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ui/src/contexts/WaterPumpStatusProvider.js b/ui/src/contexts/WaterPumpStatusProvider.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..915caa5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/contexts/WaterPumpStatusProvider.js
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import { connect } from 'react-redux';
+import { updateSystemStatus } from '../store/slices/SystemStatus';
+import { useWaterPumpAPI } from './WaterPumpAPIContext';
+import { useNotificationsSystem } from './NotificationsContext';
+
+const FETCH_INTERVAL = 5000;
+const CHECK_INTERVAL = Math.round(FETCH_INTERVAL / 10);
+
+function WaterPumpStatusProviderComoponent({ children, updateStatus, systemStatus }) {
+  const { API } = useWaterPumpAPI();
+  const NotificationsSystem = useNotificationsSystem();
+  const nextFetchTime = React.useRef(0);
+
+  // Function to fetch water pump status
+  const fetchStatus = React.useCallback(async () => {
+      const now = Date.now();
+      if(now < nextFetchTime.current) return;
+      if(null == API) return;
+      
+      nextFetchTime.current = Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER; // prevent concurrent fetches
+      try {
+        const status = await API.status();
+        updateStatus(status);
+      } catch (error) {
+        NotificationsSystem.alert('Error fetching system status: ' + error.message);
+        updateStatus(null);
+      }
+      nextFetchTime.current = Date.now() + FETCH_INTERVAL;
+    },
+    [API, NotificationsSystem, updateStatus, nextFetchTime]
+  );
+
+  // Effect to start fetching periodically and when API changes
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    const timer = setInterval(fetchStatus, CHECK_INTERVAL);
+    return () => { clearInterval(timer); };
+  }, [fetchStatus]);
+
+  // Effect to reset timer when system status changes
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    // reset timer if not fetching
+    const now = Date.now();
+    if(now < nextFetchTime.current) {
+      nextFetchTime.current = 0;
+    }
+  }, [API, systemStatus, nextFetchTime]);
+
+  return (
+    <React.Fragment>
+      {children}
+    </React.Fragment>
+  );
+}
+
+export default connect(
+  (state) => ({ 
+    systemStatus: state.systemStatus
+  }), {
+    updateStatus: updateSystemStatus
+  
+  }
+)(WaterPumpStatusProviderComoponent);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ui/src/store/slices/SystemStatus.js b/ui/src/store/slices/SystemStatus.js
index 5c12a49..92abc88 100644
--- a/ui/src/store/slices/SystemStatus.js
+++ b/ui/src/store/slices/SystemStatus.js
@@ -14,19 +14,11 @@ function preprocessSystemStatus(systemStatus) {
   systemStatus.updated = Date.now();
   return systemStatus;
 }
-// TODO: Replace this with a real system status
-const systemStatus = preprocessSystemStatus({
-  "water threshold": 1234,
-  "pump": {
-    "running": false,
-    "time left": 0
-  }
-});
 
 // slice for system status
 export const SystemStatusSlice = createSlice({
   name: 'systemStatus',
-  initialState: systemStatus,
+  initialState: null,
   reducers: {
     updateSystemStatus(state, action) {
       return preprocessSystemStatus(action.payload);