Enlightening discourses and subjective perceptions is a crucial issue for policy makers to improve public acceptance and better understand social conflicts. This paper offers an overview of reasons to use Q methodology in environmental economic policy and an example on water governance. Based on 35 face-to face interviews with French water stakeholders, this study highlights consensus and disagreements on the controversial use of water. Participants sorted statements representing means to manage the resource in a better way, associated with domestic, agricultural, and industrial consumption reduction, preservation of the resource in quality and quantity, city planning and innovation, water governance and information, solidarity, and shared initiatives. This study identifies five prevailing stakeholder perspectives. They rely on the trade-off between quality and quantity, collective involvement, knowledge of water resources, technological optimisation and pricing and regulation. These perspectives are then developed to inform decision-making of various stakeholders such as policy makers and water experts.