Construction with combustible materials coupled with close placement of buildings and the use of open flames in heating, cooking, and lighting meant that the potential for raging fires was ever present. Lack of sanitation, and the ensuing public health problems it created, was a more constant, if less dramatic, urban issue. It was not until the 1860s that any serious, concerted effort was made to develop proper systems for water delivery and sewage removal. In spite of remarkable strides made in the 1870s and 1880s by the newly

请问老师，

1、这里的it指代是前面的lack of santitaiton吗？（it可以指代同一句话中前面的名词吗？） 

2、这里的if是翻译成虽然吗？