North-east firms have been warned that the area is among parts of Scotland which have reached alert level for water scarcity.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) says recent rainfall has not been enough for recovery in the east, and conditions have continued to get drier in Dundee, Fife, Falkirk, East Lothian and the north-east.
Alert level requires businesses which rely on water from the environment to start taking action to ensure they are being efficient - including checks of their equipment and abstracting at night to minimise evaporation.
SEPA says multiple industries in Scotland rely on a consistent water resource for their operations, such as farming, whisky production, golf and hydropower energy.
There continues to be a split for water scarcity in Scotland, with most of the west experiencing normal conditions and the east at an early-warning stage.
The head of water and planning at SEPA, Nathan Critchlow-Watton, said: "The deterioration in the east is due to a combination of dry ground conditions and low river flows.
"We continue to monitor the situation closely and manage water resources in line with Scotland's national water-scarcity plan.
"Businesses can play their part to protect the environment by following our advice on using water efficiently and having a plan for when resources start to deplete.
"Water scarcity will become a more regular occurrence in Scotland as a result of climate change, but we're here to help and minimise the impacts on both the environment and key sectors across the country."
SEPA's advice on taking action to manage water use includes:
*Plan ahead and know what actions you can take to minimise water use and protect water supplies in your catchment.
*When irrigating your land, check equipment isn't leaking, don't over-spray and use trickle irrigation where appropriate.
*Follow conditions in your abstraction permit.
*Stagger abstractions with other operators, reduce the volume used and irrigate at night where possible.
*Switch to alternative supplies, like boreholes, or temporarily stop abstracting if you can.