A membrane based water filtration plant comprising a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor system comprising: a remote telemetry unit, a supervisory control and data acquisition unit (SCADA), and a plurality of MEMS sensors for measuring pressure, flow rate and conductivity of a stream; said water filtration plant is comprised of a train comprised of a membrane vessel containing a plurality of membrane elements (420, 425, 430); said membrane elements receive a feed stream and produce a concentrate stream and a permeate stream; said membrane elements are arranged in series creating interfaces between each membrane element; said MEMS sensors measure the flow rate, pressure, and conductivity of said feed stream, concentrate stream, and permeate stream at said membrane interfaces; said membrane vessel receives a feed stream and produces a permeate stream and a concentrate steam; conventional pressure sensors measure the pressure of said membrane vessel permeate, concentrate, and feed streams; conventional conductivity sensors measure the conductivity of said membrane vessel permeate, concentrate, and feed streams; conventional flow sensors measure the flow rate of said membrane vessel permeate, concentrate, and feed streams; conventional temperature sensor measures the temperature of said membrane vessel feed stream; said RTU communicates with said MEMS sensors and said SCADA to provide said MEMS sensors flow rate, pressure and conductivity measurements to said SCADA, said RTU communicates wirelessly with said MEMS sensors; said conventional sensors provide measurements directly to said SCADA; wherein said SCADA uses said MEMS sensor and said conventional sensor measurements to identify compromised membrane elements; wherein each of said MEMS sensors is comprised of a removable smart sensor structure (RSSS) and a control/data transceiver chip (CDTC); said RSSS is comprised of a smart part and at least one of a flow sensor or a pressure sensor or a conductivity sensor; wherein said smart part is comprised of a coil, voltage regulator, inductive transceiver, non-volatile memory, microprocessor, and conversion circuitry; wherein said CDTC is comprised of a coil, inductive transceiver, and RF transceiver. a remote telemetry unit, a supervisory control and data acquisition unit (SCADA), and a plurality of MEMS sensors for measuring pressure, flow rate and conductivity of a stream; said water filtration plant is comprised of a train comprised of a membrane vessel containing a plurality of membrane elements (420, 425, 430); said membrane elements receive a feed stream and produce a concentrate stream and a permeate stream; said membrane elements are arranged in series creating interfaces between each membrane element; said MEMS sensors measure the flow rate, pressure, and conductivity of said feed stream, concentrate stream, and permeate stream at said membrane interfaces; said membrane vessel receives a feed stream and produces a permeate stream and a concentrate steam; conventional pressure sensors measure the pressure of said membrane vessel permeate, concentrate, and feed streams; conventional conductivity sensors measure the conductivity of said membrane vessel permeate, concentrate, and feed streams; conventional flow sensors measure the flow rate of said membrane vessel permeate, concentrate, and feed streams; conventional temperature sensor measures the temperature of said membrane vessel feed stream; said RTU communicates with said MEMS sensors and said SCADA to provide said MEMS sensors flow rate, pressure and conductivity measurements to said SCADA, said RTU communicates wirelessly with said MEMS sensors; said conventional sensors provide measurements directly to said SCADA; wherein said SCADA uses said MEMS sensor and said conventional sensor measurements to identify compromised membrane elements; wherein each of said MEMS sensors is comprised of a removable smart sensor structure (RSSS) and a control/data transceiver chip (CDTC); said RSSS is comprised of a smart part and at least one of a flow sensor or a pressure sensor or a conductivity sensor; wherein said smart part is comprised of a coil, voltage regulator, inductive transceiver, non-volatile memory, microprocessor, and conversion circuitry; wherein said CDTC is comprised of a coil, inductive transceiver, and RF transceiver.