A filter assembly for filtering diesel fuel used by a diesel engine includes a housing that defines a housing opening, an unfiltered fuel inlet and a filtered fuel outlet. A panel is matable to the housing for sealably enclosing the opening for forming a housing chamber. A panel encloses the opening and defines an inner surface. A filter element formed from a peripheral wall includes filter media defining an unfiltered side and a filtered side of said filter element. The peripheral wall is sealably affixed to the inner surface enclosing the unfiltered side of the filter element from the housing chamber defining an unfiltered chamber. A permeable barrier is affixed to the peripheral wall defining a filtered chamber with the filtered side of said filter element receiving filtered fuel through the filter media. The housing chamber receives filtered fuel through though the permeable barrier.