a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell water management device is provided . the device includes a hydrophilic water transport element spanning from inside the fuel cell to outside the fuel cell and disposed between a gas diffusion layer and a current collector layer in the cell . the transport element includes an intermediate wick outside the fuel cell that is hydraulically coupled to the transport element , and has a transport element structure integrated with a flow field structure within the fuel cell . the device further includes an electroosmotic pump , where the pump is located outside the fuel cell and is hydraulically coupled to the intermediate wick . the hydraulically coupled pump actively removes excess water from the flow field structure and the gas diffusion layer through the transport element , where a key aspect of the invention is the decoupling of water removal from oxidant delivery and reduced parasitic loads .