Britons could be facing further water bans as Whitehall officials draw up plans for a "reasonable worst case scenario" if the low levels of rainfall continue.
More than 27 million people across England have now had hosepipe use restricted in their area.
While temperatures are set to ease this week, with heavy showers are expected to hit the UK on Thursday, it is unlikely to bring an end to widespread drought conditions.
Now, officials could bring in limits to businesses and non-essential use bans (NEUBs).
Restrictions could be brought in to curb car washes, window washing and refilling of private swimming pools, including in gyms, reports The Times.
NEUBs can be imposed to stop the watering of sport and recreation pitches, which may cause issues with this year's football season underway.
So far, only one company, Southern Water, has submitted a NEUB, which will be decided by Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle.
Executive Director of the Federation of Small Businesses Craig Beaumont said: "Restricting small firms and the self-employed will hit livelihoods, so public agencies including HMRC must be ready to help, if a business or sole trader gets in trouble."
In response, a government spokesman said: "As any responsible government would, we are preparing for a range of scenarios and working with the National Drought Group to help maintain water supplies.
"We expect water companies to follow their established drought management plans and go further and faster to reduce leaks.
"We are clear that the water sector is not working for bill payers.
"That is why we are driving long-term change, including requiring companies to deliver record investment in infrastructure and changing the planning system to enable the construction of nine new reservoirs."
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Over the next week, some areas will have the "first meaningful rain for a long time".
A rainy front will begin to sweep down from Northern Ireland and Scotland towards the south of England and Wales on Monday, kicking off a wetter week with cooler conditions that are much closer to average for the time of year, the Met Office said.
Meanwhile, heavy showers are expected to hit the UK on Thursday, missing some areas but bringing the chance of surface flooding in places where rainfall is particularly intense, it added.
The change comes after the UK’s fifth heatwave of the summer, which saw the hottest day of the year recorded in Kew Gardens, London, on Thursday when temperatures reached 38.1C.
The Met Office’s Deputy Chief Forecaster Mike Silverstone said: "Many areas in England and Wales are desperate for rain, this week some of these areas will see the first meaningful rain for a long time."
Mr Silverstone said on Monday evening showers would spread further south to western parts of England and Wales as the main front clears into the North Sea.
Through Tuesday showers are expected to continue in the north of the country, particularly in the North West, and another area of rain will move into the South West by the evening.
This will then likely spread east across the South, bringing the first spell of widespread rain to areas in need the most, he added.
In an update on Monday, the National Fire Chiefs Council said 1,132 wildfires have now been recorded across England and Wales in 2026 so far, a record high for the amount between January and this time of year.
A total of 1,132 wildfires have now been recorded across England and Wales in 2026, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has said.
Phil Garrigan, NFCC chairman, said progress was "encouraging" as firefighters tackle the blazes but added that the country was "not out of this yet".
He said: "This has undoubtedly been an incredibly tough period for fire and rescue services, but we are beginning to see incident numbers reduce and that is welcome news. Conditions remain exceptionally dry in many parts of the country and it only takes one spark to start a serious wildfire."
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