diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 7866a5d2eec8dbf5e0109d99d6c59f9d2ff22a7a..ce1127d46dd359a20755a9e9fdcf0cfa91bdfb87 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ psycopg2-binary==2.8.3
 dj-database-url==0.5.0
 pytz==2019.2
 selenium==3.141.0
+python-dotenv==0.10.3
 sqlparse==0.3.0
 urllib3==1.25.3
 whitenoise==4.1.3
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/superlists/settings.py b/superlists/settings.py
index 84769088f0ad873629af658ee4ff7d9c022de0e7..3802b1276ddbf16170f32a1895559c3c7f48c705 100644
--- a/superlists/settings.py
+++ b/superlists/settings.py
@@ -12,12 +12,16 @@ https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.11/ref/settings/
 
 import os
 import dj_database_url
+import dotenv
 
 PROJECT_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 
 # Build paths inside the project like this: os.path.join(BASE_DIR, ...)
 BASE_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
-PRODUCTION = os.environ.get('DATABASE_URL') != None
+
+dotenv_file = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, ".env")
+if os.path.isfile(dotenv_file):
+    dotenv.load_dotenv(dotenv_file)
 
 # Quick-start development settings - unsuitable for production
 # See https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.11/howto/deployment/checklist/
@@ -80,15 +84,15 @@ WSGI_APPLICATION = 'superlists.wsgi.application'
 
 DATABASES = {
     'default': {
-        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
-        'NAME': os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'db.sqlite3'),
+        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2',
+        'NAME': os.getenv('DB_NAME'),
+        'USER': os.getenv('DB_USER'),
+        'PASSWORD': os.getenv('DB_PASSWORD'),
+        'HOST': os.getenv('DB_HOST'),
+        'PORT': os.getenv('DB_PORT')
     }
 }
 
-# If Using Heroku Environment, then Use Database Setting on Heroku
-if PRODUCTION:
-    DATABASES['default'] = dj_database_url.config()
-
 # Password validation
 # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.11/ref/settings/#auth-password-validators