In recent decades, water shortage has become a grave problem faced by countries all over the world. Seawater desalination, regarded as an alternative complement to water resources, has gained the attention of governments and scholars. China, particularly its coastal provinces, suffers from water shortage and has devoted considerable energy to promoting the seawater desalination industry. Nevertheless, the fact that residents in coastal regions are unwilling to use desalinated water restricts the large-scale development of desalination. By reviewing policy evolution and the status quo of desalination in China, this paper offers a new perspective for researchers on desalination, in which the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is adopted to investigate residents’ acceptance towards the utilisation of desalinated water. We find that attitude, subjective norm and perceived behaviour control have significant positive effects on behavioural intention and further impact the use of desalinated water. Moreover, an interrelationship between subjective norm and attitude exists as well. In combination with a realistic situation, we further provide a series of corresponding implications for practice. This study is the first to investigate China’s desalination development under a micro perspective, aimed at providing reference and guidance for policymakers.