By rights, the Cleveland Division of Water should be at the forefront of Cleveland's efforts to sell itself and the region to prospective residents and businesses. Instead, the city is frittering away one of its greatest assets -- access to plentiful, fresh drinking water -- through its inexcusable failure to correct ongoing billing and customer service problems.

The shortcomings have caused the stirrings of a revolt among the scores of communities that use Cleveland water. Even worse, a certain tone deafness has set in at City Hall that is not conducive to prodding this division in the right direction.

Now, city officials are considering a $15 million boost in customer charges throughout the region, despite the system's perennial failures at billing and customer service.

That's out of bounds. There should be no rate increase without clear, measurable improvements, period.

A superior product is useless if it can't be provided in a way consistent with acceptable business practices. After the Water Division has repeatedly fallen short of that standard, it's not enough to suggest -- as Mayor Frank Jackson has done -- that the problems are short-term and irrelevant to the product itself.

Jackson should long ago have caused heads to roll. Now, City Council must insist on changes at the top -- replacing current oversight from City Hall Chief Operating Officer Darnell Brown and Director of Public Utilities Barry Withers with involvement by leaders who can effect worthwhile change.

Yes, aging pipes need repair and bills must be paid, but the system is so rife with incompetence and customer-service lapses that a rate increase now would just further undercut the division's credibility.

Yet while the public reaches for wallets and pitchforks, it's a little disingenuous for so many on City Council to suggest the rate request comes as a surprise.

Council approved a rate study back in August 2009 -- although, astonishingly, the study isn't quite done yet. Why not?

Council could have exercised more due diligence on this matter.

But no one should need a study to understand that, at the very least, customers will demand that higher water bills go hand in hand with improved service. Who can blame them?

If council decides a rate increase is necessary for the stability and fiscal soundness of the water system, then it also must insist on a complete dry-dock overhaul to bring modern business practices to the division. Without such reforms, this proposal doesn't float.