Farmers have called for a hosepipe ban and urged "social responsibility" from other water users while rain-starved food crops struggle with dwindling irrigation supplies.
Leading agriculture figures say the restrictions are necessary in East Anglia to protect precious supplies of water and to ensure their sector has enough resources to cope, with no rainfall relief on the horizon.
The prolonged hot weather, which has seen the region endure its driest July on record, has left crops such as potatoes, sugar beet and salads desperate for water.
Anglian Water insists that it currently has no plans for a hosepipe ban, though it says it is keeping the situation under constant review.
On Tuesday, its officials will meet with experts from the Environment Agency to discuss falling water levels on the River Wensum.
The agency permits water to be taken from the river by Anglian Water and by farmers, under 'abstraction' licenses, which govern how much can be removed and from where.
The EA has not yet formally declared a drought this summer, but has previously warned farmers in parts of the Broads of possible abstraction restrictions during a period defined as "prolonged dry weather" - the first of four drought categories.
But figures in the industry say the public should do their bit to conserve water, with a hosepipe ban needed to preserve supplies.
Nick Deane, who farms at Hoveton, is treasurer of the Broadland Agricultural Water Abstractors Group and a former Norfolk branch chairman of the National Farmers' Union (NFU).
"We find it strange that this is not officially recognised as a drought," he said. "As far as farmers are concerned it is a drought, and we have got a further prolonged dry spell ahead of us.
"If we are looking at a national situation where we are going to be seriously challenged by our water resources in the near future, then surely it would make sense, rather than just looking at the agriculture sector to reduce their use, we should look at the way we are all using our water - which should imply there should be a degree of social responsibility for the customers.
"So wouldn't a hosepipe ban be a sensible thing to introduce preventatively?
"Water is going to be scarce, so everyone is going to have to take responsibility for what we have got."
Mr Deane described a "pretty grim picture" in the fields, with sugar beet crops wilting, potato crops showing heat and drought stress, and no grass growing on livestock pastures.
"For those that have water left on their abstraction licences, it is a question of prioritising where to put it," he said.
"The obvious priority is the higher value crops. So, for example, baby leaf lettuce will come above sugar beet, as would potatoes."
Mr Deane said he was not yet aware of any added EA restrictions to existing abstraction licences - although he said some requests for new water licences had been refused.
Another farmer backing the calls for a hosepipe ban is north Norfolk farm contractor Kit Papworth.
"Yes, and it's nothing to do with food production," he said. "I don't see any rain in the forecast and the reservoirs are running low, so it is just common sense."
NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw, who farms near Colchester, said the water situation is "already critical".
"Many, many agricultural sectors are facing the challenges, but those that are growing irrigated crops have been using their irrigation now for several months because it’s been dry right the way since the start of June and even earlier," he said.
“So they’ve been using their irrigation reservoirs and unfortunately those reservoirs are now beginning to run dry, which means that they haven’t got any more water to apply to the crops that are being grown.”
Mr Deane also urged retailers to reassess their specifications to avoid the wastage of edible vegetables whose quality and size have been affected by a lack of water.
"We are in a position where we know crops are being harvested where their yield and quality are being affected, so it seems irrational to apply the same quality criteria when there is a food crop that is in shortage," he said.
"It seems crazy throwing things away when they are in short supply - especially when people are being impacted by the cost of living crisis."
A spokeswoman for Anglian Water said: “We have no hosepipe bans currently in place across our region, and we’re working hard to keep it that way.
“But we’re watching river levels very closely right now, as things can change quickly and the forecast for this month remains dry and warm. Our message remains the same: use water wisely, whatever the weather.”
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