The City of Mt. Vernon is once again facing a water emergency, almost exactly one year after a similar emergency happened.  The city has declared a state of emergency, due to a serious water leak that has not been found yet.  The city is asking residents to restrict their water use, and as a critical point was reached with the loss of water.  Since that is happening, they are declaring this as an emergency.  The decision came after the one-year anniversary of a major water main break at Rend Lake and their Conservancy District, which left water levels for the city and rural water districts critically low.  Authorities are still unsure of what is the cause of the current water loss situation, but are continuing to investigate as they ask residents to continue conserving their water.