Ineffective water management in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) can cause performance degradation. A simple mathematical model capturing the effect of water on the overall performance of the fuel cell system is of immense use in developing tools for water management. In this work, a computationally efficient first principles dynamic model for PEMFC system simulations and concomitant water management studies are developed. The steady-state version of this model is validated with experimental data. The effect of various operating conditions and design parameters on the performance of the fuel cell is studied using this model. Various control strategies for improving fuel cell performance in the presence of flooding are evaluated using the model. The simplicity and adequate predictive capability of the model make it amenable to be used in a model-based feedback control framework for online water management. (C) 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.