Hi Pat, the varistream is produced by an English company called Williamson pumps
www.williamsonpumps.co.ukthe Varistream has a number of functions.
1 - it analyses current draw from the pump, so when you disconnect the pump starts to draw more current (as pressure builds up) and when it sees this it switches the pump off, saving water and battery power as well as making the pressure switch redundant.
2 - it allows the user to slow the pump down to save water, battery power and ultimately extend the lifetime of the pump.
3 - the led on the front signals when the pump is running (constant green light), when the pump is switched off by the varistream (constant red light) and when your battery power is getting low (flashing green light).
Great piece of kit, there is also a cariable resistor located inside the unit to allow you to fine tune when the pump switches off.